As Fate Would Have It
by the amber dragonfly
Summary: Naraku has been defeated, but he shattered the Shikon no Tama as he died. Now the group must search out the jewel shards once again, but a dying man sidetracks the group with his final request. InuXKag, MirXSan COMPLETE
1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1

The quarter-moon shone down dimly on the wreckage of what used to be a simple family hut. The building was now nothing more than a pile of rubble, with only one wall still standing.

What was odd was the fact that this hut was situated nowhere near any towns or villages- it simply sat by itself, next to a lush forest. If one sat quietly, the not-too-distant waterfall could be heard, roaring softly behind the voices of birds and beasts of the forest.

Yet now, the only person around to listen to its song was beyond hearing. A dark form lying on the ground was all that remained.

As the moon's glow filtered through the trees, a lone man, perhaps only 20 years of age, ran through the vegetation, sweat dripping from his brow. He clutched a small bundle in his arms as though it contained some priceless treasure. He looked around, panic evident in his dark brown eyes. His simple dark blue haori with black hakama were torn by more than branches, and blood was oozing from several wounds. He glanced around again, trying not to breathe too heavily.

Suddenly a deep roar sounded behind him. The young man's gaze snapped to the foliage that was shaking with the force of the sound. He turned and ran downstream as fast as he could, never relinquishing his hold on the bundle in his arms.

--------------------------

"Keh! I don't know why we have to keep sitting around here for! Why don't we just go look for the rest of the shards?" Inuyasha, a young dog hanyou seemingly of about 18 years of age, complained as he sat cross-legged on the wooden floor of the hut. He propped one clawed hand up on his knee, while the other knee supported his elbow, with his chin resting in the other hand. He glared at the doorway of the hut, obviously annoyed with something. Although with Inuyasha, he was _usually_ annoyed with something.

"Come now, Inuyasha," Miroku the monk soothed as he drank his tea. "You know that although Naraku is gone, there are still many dangers out there. Kagome will be here soon with supplies from her own time, and _then_ we can leave." He sipped his tea reverently, eyes closed. "And Sango is waiting for her by the well, so there is no need for you to trouble yourself about her safety."

Swinging his attention back Miroku, Inuyasha brandished a fist at the calm young man, blushing furiously as he spoke. "I'm not worried about her, if that's what you're trying to say!" he yelled at the monk who seemed unaffected by this sudden outburst of "anger."

Shippou, the young kitsune youkai, spoke up from his seat next to Miroku. "We all know you're in love with Kagome, so it's natural that you'd worry about her when she's not by your side." That little bit of insight from the little kit earned him a bonk on the head from Inuyasha, who was now standing up, his face as red as his fire-rat haori and hakama.

"Who says I'm in l-love with K-kagome!" he managed to sputter out just as said-girl and the lovely taijiya Sango entered the hut, the promised supplies in hand as they readied themselves a trip to find the rest of the jewel shards. Kagome froze and Inuyasha slowly looked over at her. He winced.

"Inuyasha?" Sango asked in surprise. "You finally admit you're in love with Kagome?" She closed her eyes and bowed her head, shaking it side to side in wonder. "It's about time."

"I never said any such thing! There's no _way_ I'd say I was in love with Kagome!" Inuyasha bellowed as he turned to face the two ladies head on.

Then he caught what he said. "Eh…I… uh…K-kagome…" he stammered out as he looked over at her.

Kagome looked at him, her heart breaking. _It figures,_ she thought. _He's still in love with Kikyou, even after all we've been through._

Then the anger began to set in. She hugged her backpack to her chest tighter, clenching her fists. _When is he going to wake up and see that she's DEAD? I'm the one who's alive! I'm the one who's right here! I'm the one who…_ her thoughts stopped briefly, but she knew she couldn't lie to herself. _…loves him now…_

She stood there silently, her brown eyes staring painfully at Inuyasha as she struggled internally to relax.

Calmer now, and a bit saddened, Kagome simply turned around and left the hut without saying a word. As the door flap swayed behind her, Sango, Miroku, Shippou, and even Kirara turned to look at Inuyasha, who was staring after her as if he expected something.

"I can't believe you got away with that, Inuyasha!" Shippou exclaimed, shaking his head.

"I agree," Miroku said sagely. "I highly expected Kagome to respond to your hurtful words with her usual reaction."

Sango just glared at him, her expression voicing her disgust more vehemently than words would allow her. She too turned around and left the hut, letting the flap hit the hut wall a little harder than normal.

As the two men and the little kitsune stared after her, Inuyasha finally straightened up, his wariness receding. "Keh!" he scoffed as he folded his arms and struck his best "I'm a bad-ass" pose. "I don't know what you guys were expecting, but…-!"

"OSUWARI!" came the faint yell from outside, a fair distance away from the hut. Inuyasha's smug retort was cut short by a faceplant to the hut floor.

Miroku and Shippou both hung their heads in shame, slowly shaking their heads side to side. "We warned him," said Shippou.

-------------------------------

Kagome sat on the hill next to the river, her knees drawn up and her arms wrapped around her legs. She looked unseeing at the river, and then rested her chin on her knees.

_When will I learn that I'll never be a part of Inuyasha's life any more than a jewel shard finder?_ She thought sadly. _As much as we've been through, he'll always love Kikyou. Didn't he even promise her they'd be together after Naraku was defeated?_

She looked up at the quarter moon in the sky, shining silently on her moist eyes. She thought back to the battle that they had waited for for so long.

"_Dammit!" Inuyasha growled under his breath as he hacked off yet another of Naraku's tentacles. "What's taking that baka so long?" He turned his head briefly and yelled over to Miroku. "Hey, Miroku!_

_The monk jumped back just in time to miss being hit by another tentacle. "Stay sharp, Inuyasha!" he replied. He didn't want to say something that might tip Naraku off that they had finally found the way to destroy him for good._

"_Keh!" He grunted. "No need to remind me!"_

_--------_

_While the others were busy keeping Naraku's attention diverted, Kagome had finally managed to find her quarry. The aim of all their searches, the heart of Naraku's evil:_

_The baby._

_The pale, lavender-haired baby that was Naraku's heart lay in Kanna's arms. It held the Fuyouheki in its pallid little hands as it seemingly slept. Kanna stood, silent as ever, facing the general direction where Naraku was battling Inuyasha and company. The white-haired child was giving Kagome a perfect view of the baby in her arms._

_Kagome closed her eyes, relaxed, and remembered Kaede's instructions. Her scent and her miko aura were cloaked, allowing her to approach her targets, hopefully, undetected. _

_When she opened her eyes, she could see the barrier protecting Kanna and the baby. What was she to do about the barrier? Would the sacred arrow pierce through it like Inuyasha's red Tetsusaiga?_

_As she silently pulled out an arrow and fitted it to her bow, she never took her eyes off her target. The almost invisible red glow of the barrier shimmered around them. Then, to Kagome's shock, the barrier dissipated._

_The baby stirred, but didn't open its eyes. "Kanna, why have you released the barrier?" it said in a disturbingly normal voice._

"_It will be over soon," Kanna said in her whisper-soft voice, her vacant eyes revealing nothing as usual._

_Although Kagome couldn't be certain, it was almost as if Kanna were giving her the chance she needed to be rid of Naraku once and for all. If Kagura were willing to betray Naraku, could Kanna feel the same?_

_Not one to question something as important as this, Kagome immediately took aim and prayed to all the gods and deities she had ever heard of for her arrow to hit the mark._

_There was a flash of lavender light as the arrow flew toward its goal. The baby opened its eyes just as the arrow pierced its chest. Disbelief showed on its face as its body began to disintegrate, the purifying arrow finally destroying the root of evil causing such pain, horror, and hardships to those in Sengoku Jidai._

_Kagome stared as the baby cried out in anger and frustration as it disappeared completely. Kanna looked down at her now-empty arms, and then looked over at Kagome with still no expression on her pale face._

_Kagome froze, wondering what the white child would do. She readied another arrow, but Kanna simply turned and walked away. As Kagome heard the familiar whisper-soft voice, she lowered her bow and arrow._

"_Arigatou, miko…"_

_---------_

_Inuyasha stopped dead as he watched Naraku's face contort in agony. Kagome must have managed to destroy Naraku's heart! He glanced quickly at Miroku and was gratified to see that the monk had come to the same conclusion. Inuyasha raised his Tetsusaiga for the final blow._

"_**KONGOU SOUHA!" **came the war cry as Inuyasha let loose the diamond spear attack that would finally finish off Naraku for good._

_Naraku gasped and held aloft the almost-completed Shikon no Tama. "You may have finally defeated me, hanyou, with the help of that miko bitch of yours, but I will have the last laugh!" _

_He laughed weakly and closed his eyes in concentration. As the diamond spears ripped his body apart, Naraku did the only thing he could do at that point._

_He shattered the shard again._

"_NO!" Inuyasha screamed in frustration. "You bastard!" He could only watch helplessly as the shards once again scattered to endless places unknown. He held the Kongou Souha attack with all his strength, but knew that Naraku may still pull his body together again if something else wasn't done._

"_KAZAANAAA!" Miroku ripped the prayer beads off his right hand and proceeded to suck the remains of Naraku into the very void he himself had created in Miroku's grandfather's hand so long ago. _

_Naraku's grin of triumph quickly turned to a scream of horror as he realized what was happening. The hole in Miroku's hand gradually grew smaller as the pieces of Naraku's body entered the nothingness. It vanished completely as the last bit of Naraku disappeared into his hand._

_Miroku stared at his hand, his whole body shaking. He dropped to his knees. Sango, who had braced herself behind her Hiraikotsu with Kirara, came running to his side._

"_Miroku? Miroku!" she cried as she fell to her knees beside him. "What's wrong?"_

_Silently Miroku looked at her, tears in his grey-blue eyes. Then he held up his right hand. She gasped and covered her mouth with her hands, tears quickly coming to her own soft brown eyes. _

_Miroku sat wordlessly as Sango took his hand, brushing her fingers over his palm as though disbelieving what her eyes told her. She lifted her eyes to his._

_Without hesitating, Miroku pulled Sango to him and kissed her deeply, finally able to give in to his desire for her without anything else standing in his way._

_Sango pulled away, shaken by the passion in the kiss. She blushed deeply as she took in a shuddering breath, looking into his eyes once more. She looked away, embarrassed at how breathless his kiss had left her. _

_She reached up with a shaking hand and ever so lightly brushed his cheek with her hand in a mock slap. He felt it as a sweet caress._

"_H-h-hentai…" she whispered, trying to conceal her soft smile of delight. He chuckled, and then pulled her into his arms, where she clung as tightly as he._

_Inuyasha watched the happy couple in embarrassed disgust. All he wanted was to find Kagome- was she all right? _Shit_, he thought. _Now we have to find all those blasted shards all over again…and the sooner we find them and complete the Shikon no Tama, the sooner I'll become a full youkai.

_He nodded to Kirara to stay by the monk and his taijiya, and then bounded off, searching for Kagome's scent. Kaede had taught her how to conceal her presence and scent with a miko spell so that blasted baby wouldn't sense her before she could destroy it._

_Sailing over the trees, Inuyasha finally caught Kagome's scent- she must have let down her miko spell once the deed was done. He zeroed in on her, preparing to land near her. Suddenly another scent caught his nose._

_Kikyou._

_He landed at the top of the closest tree, looking toward where the scent was coming from. Sure enough, Kikyou's soul stealers, the Shinidamachuu, were taking their precious cargo into the trees. Where they were headed had to be where Kikyou was. _

_Inuyasha paused, torn. Should he go find Kagome and make sure she was okay, or should he go to Kikyou? _

_He shook his head as though clearing his head, then changed directions and bounded toward where the Shinidamachuu were headed._

_He found her, of course, walking serenely through the trees while her soul collectors continued to follow her. He landed on the soft forest ground, earning him only a glance from the dead miko._

"_Kikyou…" he said as he stood up straight. "Naraku is dead. We finished him off for good this time."_

_Kikyou stopped and turned toward him, her sad gaze steady as she looked at him. "And what makes you think I didn't already feel his youki disappear when he was vanquished, Inuyasha? I may be dead, but my powers are still intact," she rebuked, her voice calm as always._

_Inuyasha blushed slightly at the reminder of her death. He stepped closer, his feelings toward Kikyou confused and uncertain. "Kikyou…Naraku…he- he shattered the Shikon no Tama again. The shards are lost again."_

"_Then what will you do, Inuyasha?" Kikyou smiled, but it never reached her eyes. "Find all the shards once again and become a full youkai?"_

"_Of course!" he growled back. That was his purpose all along, wasn't it?_

_She dropped the smile and scowled at him, her voice dripping with scorn. "And what of your promise to me? To join me in Hell once Naraku was defeated?"_

_Kagome stepped out from the trees, having heard the entire conversation, just as before, when Kikyou had kissed Inuyasha. _

_Now, experience gave her boldness, and she would no longer sit idly by while these two planned their reunion. "Yes, Inuyasha… what of your promise to Kikyou?"_

_Inuyasha stepped forward, shock in his golden eyes. "K-kagome… I-I…" He couldn't find the words to explain to either of them._

"_If the shards are lost again, then we simply will have to go find them again," Kagome said stiffly. She nodded once to Kikyou, then turned on her heel and walked off, heading towards Kaede's village and the Bone Eater's Well. "With, or without, you."_

"_Wait! Kagome!" Inuyasha yelled after her retreating form. As she disappeared into the forest, Kikyou turned and walked away as well. _

"_It would seem that my incarnation has chosen for you, Inuyasha…"_


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

Kagome shook her head in a futile effort to remove the horrible memories of Kikyou and Inuyasha from her mind. _He made his choice_, she thought sadly. She looked down at the river again as Sango walked tentatively toward her.

"Kagome?" the taijiya asked quietly, as though hesitant to intrude on the girl from the future's thoughts. "Are you okay?"

Kagome turned her head and looked up at Sango. Such a lovely girl: brave, loyal, and caring. Kagome often wondered if Inuyasha would like her more if she were more like Sango. She almost chuckled out loud at the thought. _That's all we'd need- two battle-ready females looking to do some damage to the male populous…_and with that, she did laugh out loud- a healthy, happy sound.

Sango relaxed and crouched down next to Kagome. "I'm glad you can find humor still in your heart. He doesn't deserve your love, you know."

Kagome chuckled again, just for the pleasure of hearing the happy sound. "Don't I know it!" She looked at the river again as something caught her eye. "But I can't change my…" she trailed off as she saw that something become a figure and stagger out of the river onto the grassy bank.

"Sango!" the younger girl whispered fiercely.

Sango's gaze followed Kagome's and she too saw the figure on the bank. "What… _is _that?" she whispered back. "It doesn't feel like a demon…"

Kagome jumped up and ran down the hill toward the figure. As she neared, she could see that the figure was in fact a rather handsome man, about the same age as Miroku.

His long black hair was pulled back in a ponytail, rather like Kouga's, but without the Wolf Demon's unique features. His face had blotches of blood on it, and his clothing was ripped and torn, soaked with blood and water from the river. Kagome could see several slashes where something had tried to rip him apart.

"Sango! Go get Kaede!" Kagome called up the hill. There was so much blood loss… the man's clothes were almost completely soaked in it. She kneeled by his side.

"Hold on," she said to the young man. "We can help you." She reached around his shoulder to roll him over.

Inuyasha, Miroku, Shippou, Sango, and Kaede arrived just as Kagome flipped the young man over. Everyone except Inuyasha gasped aloud when they saw how badly his legs and arms were ripped open.

In the young man's arms, however, he clutched a bunch of leathers that seemed miraculously untouched. Kagome looked up at Kaede, and the old woman shook her head sadly.

Suddenly he coughed a rough, rasping sound. Kagome glanced down to see the young man open his eyes, which were a soft chocolate brown.

"What happened to you?" Kagome asked softly, worried that the man would pass out or worse before they could determine the cause of such horrible wounds.

"Youkai… came after… my wife… and I," he managed to gasp out. He coughed harshly, blood dripping from his mouth. "Don't… know… what happened… to her. She told… me to… run. For… _her_…sake…"

"Her sake? Your wife's? Where is she? Where are you from? Maybe we can find her for you."

The man managed to shake his head. "The… north. We… lived by… a… waterfall. On the edge… of the forest."

Kagome reached down and tried to wipe some of the blood off his face. He really was quite a handsome man. "And your wife?" she urged gently. "Where is your wife?"

His eyes went hazy for a moment. A grim look came over his face. "They… swarmed… our house. I don't… know why…"

Inuyasha snorted. "Youkai don't need a reason to kill. Some do it for food, others do it for the thrill of simply killing."

The young man looked up and spied Inuyasha with Shippou sitting on his shoulder. His eyes widened.

"You… you're… a hanyou!"

"Keh! No shit."

His brown gaze moved up to Shippou. "And… a… youkai! A… kitsune… right?"

"He's pretty good for a ningen," Shippou commented in surprise.

The man's attention turned back to Kagome. "Are… these… with you?"

Kagome nodded. "Inuyasha's my best friend, and Shippou's like a son to me. You can trust them."

He sighed in obvious relief. He coughed again, this time with more blood. His body shook as it went into shock from the vast amount of blood loss. His eyes glazed again and lost focus as he looked at Kagome.

"P-please…" he rasped weakly as he pushed the pile of leathers into Kagome's arms. "Y-you must…p-protect with…your…l-life…"

As Kagome involuntarily clutched the pile of leather, the young man's eyes went vacant and his body went limp. Kagome looked up at Miroku and Kaede and was saddened to see them both begin blessing the young man's body. The poor man had died of his wounds.

"I don't see why we should bother blessing a guy who ran away from his mate," Inuyasha grumped. "After all- it's _his_ job to protect _her_, isn't it?"

"I'm sure he had a good reason, Inuyasha," Kagome replied practically. "A woman would want her love to run away if there was a chance that he would live on."

Inuyasha snorted.

"You're just upset because it's obvious this man had a wife who loved him unconditionally enough to sacrifice herself so that he might escape," Miroku said pointedly.

Inuyasha growled and curled his hand into a fist, ready to hit the smart-mouth monk. "Love don't have nothing to do with it!"

"I beg to differ, Inuyasha," Kaede agreed. "Love has everything to do with it. Love is what each of us is here for. It is what makes life worth living."

"Keh! It wasn't enough to save his sorry life, was it? He still died!"

"Enough! A man just died here! Can't you show some respect?"

Inuyasha looked down at Kagome, who still sat next to the dead man, holding the pile of leathers. "I can't respect a coward."

"Baka!"

"Wench!"

"He is obviously _not_ a coward because he risked his life to bring whatever _this_ is to us! It must be something very precious to him!"

Shippou hopped over to Sango's shoulder, cocked his head to the side and looked in confusion at the poor man. "What could mean so much to that guy that he'd die to protect it though?"

Inuyasha walked over to Kagome. He kneeled down next to Kagome and sniffed the leathers in her arms. It stank of river water and blood, but there was something else… a vaguely familiar scent…

Kagome shook her head and lifted a hand to the top of the pile. Something told her that whatever was inside those leathers was going to change her life forever.

"I have no idea… it must be something important though, if he asked me to protect it with my life." She lifted the top layers of the pile to reveal that which lay within.

Two furry, pointed black ears poked out from the top of a crown of black hair and two very blue eyes blinked at the sudden appearance of the dim moonlight. A pale, cherubic face looked out of the leathers, the cheeks a rosy pink. A tiny rosebud mouth puckered and opened, as if surprised at the two people looking at it. One tiny fist emerged from the bundle, opening up to reveal the tiny, tiny claws tipping each finger. Kagome gasped and Inuyasha froze.

It was a hanyou baby.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

Shippou broke the silence surrounding Inuyasha and Kagome by hopping over to see what was in the bundle. "Hey!" he exclaimed as he jumped on Kagome's left shoulder and looked at the infant. "It's a baby!"

The others gathered around, shocked by this revelation. Inuyasha still had not moved. The little hanyou yawned, bringing a tiny fist up into view. Kagome smiled, helpless against the flood of emotions this baby brought forth in her heart.

"Come," Kaede said softly. "That babe needs tending, and the night 'tis cool. I'll have one of the village men take care of the father." She turned to the monk. "Wouldst ye…?"

"Of course, Lady Kaede. You don't even need to ask." Miroku bowed reverently, saddened by the young man's tragic death. He turned back to the father's body and began chanting.

"Come on, Kagome," Shippou urged. "We need to get that baby inside where it's warmer!"

Kagome nodded, still rather stunned about the bundle she bore in her arms. Inuyasha still hadn't said anything. He just sat there, a strange look on his face.

Kagome looked back down at the tiny hanyou. She covered the baby's face with the leathers again. She stood and followed Kaede and Sango back to the hut.

Inside, once Kaede had stoked the fire-pit, Kagome laid the leathers on the floor and unwrapped the hanyou baby completely, getting a full look at the little wonder.

"Oh!" Sango exclaimed. "It's a girl!"

"Here," Kaede said, handing the two girls some cloth and a bowl of warmed water. "That little girl will be needing a bath and some clothes. I'll work on finding some milk for her."

"Hai," Kagome said softly, lifting the tiny girl into her arms again. "Arigatou, Kaede." She took the warm water and a soft cloth and gently washed the baby, getting the grime and dirt from her journey off her perfect skin.

"She's so tiny," Shippou piped up. Kagome looked up briefly. She hadn't heard the kitsune enter the hut. Then she smiled as she turned back to the baby.

"Yes, Shippou," Kagome agreed, gently wiping the baby's tiny, black triangular ears. "She is very tiny, compared to you. She probably isn't very old."

"I agree," Sango added, preparing a cloth for use as a diaper. "She could be anywhere from 3 to 6 months old."

Kagome dried the little girl and handed her to Sango to put the diaper on. Sango looked at the baby, then up at Kagome, flustered. "I don't know anything about putting diapers on a baby!" she exclaimed. "I was taught how to kill demons, not raise children."

Kaede took that moment to wander in again, this time with a skin full of what appeared to be milk. "Oi, ye two are going to be hopeless when ye marry and settle down." She took the naked baby hanyou and the cloth and laid them on the floor in front of her, close to the fire for warmth. "Here… let me show ye how to do this."

Kagome and Sango, who were now both blushing furiously at the thought of getting married and having babies, clustered next to Kaede for their first diapering lesson. Shippou looked up as Miroku and Inuyasha walked in.

"Everything is taken care of, Lady Kaede," Miroku said gently.

"Thank ye, Miroku. This little girl has been through so much, though. I wonder what will happen to her now."

"So it is a girl, huh? Wonder if she'll be as lovely as Sango when she's older?" Miroku knelt down by Sango and stroked her curvaceous backside.

Instead of the trademark SLAP! "HENTAI!" combination that usually followed such fresh behavior, Sango simply blushed a deep red. She turned her attention back to Kaede's lesson, while the old woman sighed at the monk's behavior. He would never change.

Meanwhile, Inuyasha still stood by the door, his face an unreadable mask. Shippou cautiously approached the inu-hanyou, worried about his sudden silence upon seeing the baby hanyou.

"What's wrong, Inuyasha?" Shippou asked with the innocence of youth. "Don't you want to see the baby?"

Inuyasha completely ignored the kitsune, which worried Shippou even more. He simply stood there, his golden eyes shuttered as he seemed to see something other than what was in the room.

_Was that what I looked like? _the inu-hanyou thought to himself. _Was I that tiny and helpless? _

Then his thoughts changed course as Kagome stood up with the now-clean, freshly diapered and obviously hungry baby girl in her arms.

_She looks so right,_ came the unbidden thought, _holding and caring for that black-haired hanyou baby. Almost as if…_ he closed his eyes, trying to push away the idea before it took form.

…_as if she were ours..._

Suddenly the little hanyou began to fuss. She was hungry and she wanted everyone to know it. But rather than starting to cry, she began a low, keening wail, sounding rather like a howl. It wasn't as loud and upset-sounding as a normal baby's cry, but sounded sad and mournful, more like-

"A wolf…" Inuyasha muttered. Kagome looked up from the baby in her arms to the silver-haired hanyou by the door.

"What did you say?" she asked him as the group turned and looked at him as one.

"She's a wolf hanyou," he said, a little louder this time. Then he sniffed. "And it smells like she's part of Kouga's tribe. She has a similar scent as that mangy wolf."

Everyone, except Inuyasha, looked down at the softly howling baby. The hair, the eyes, the wolf ears- it all made sense now. But-

"Why didn't you say something before, Inuyasha?" Sango asked, suspicious. "I mean, if you knew she was a wolf hanyou then that would've explained a few things."

"Feh," he muttered. "Just feed her before she really gets mad." And with those parting words of wisdom, he left the hut.

Kagome stared after him for a moment, wondering what was going on under those cute white doggie ears of his. Then she focused on the howling baby and focused on feeding her first.

The little hanyou latched onto the tiny opening on one end of the milk skin and proceeded to suckle to her heart's delight. Kagome smiled, then propped herself up against the hut wall with the baby in her arms.

"Did you want me to feed her so you can go talk to Inuyasha?" Sango asked softly, coming up to her side. Kagome shook her head no.

"He asked me to take care of her," she whispered, "and I don't want to burden you any more than you are already." She looked up at the taijiya. "We still have to find Kohaku, you know."

Sango was stunned. She knew Kagome always worried about others before herself, but she always managed to surprise Sango with new depths of how much she cared. Faced with the burden of caring for a baby that was not her own, a hanyou baby at that, while unmarried and mostly uneducated in terms of raising a family, she still worried about Sango's brother. Sango was deeply touched.

"Well, then, while you're feeding her, you might want to think up a name for her," the lovely woman said with a grin.

Kagome paled. "Oi!" She exclaimed softly so as not to disturb the baby. "We don't know her name!" She looked at the little hanyou, who was finishing her meal. "What should we call her?" she mused, half to herself.

Sango chuckled. "She's yours for now," she said. "You can call her what you want."

Kagome set the now-empty milk skin on the floor, and then wiped a trickle of milk off the corner of the baby's mouth. She looked at the drowsy baby, unsure of what to do next. Kaede glanced over from where she stoked her fire-pit and coughed. When Kagome looked at the older woman, she smiled in amusement.

"Ye need to burp her now, Kagome," she said.

"G-gomen!" Kagome stammered. She was still new to this whole "mom" thing. Why didn't she remember anything from when her mom had Souta? _Because you were just a kid,_ a voice in her head reminded her. _You were too young and it wasn't your responsibility._

Sighing, Kagome put the little baby on her shoulder and gently patted her back. She gurgled and cooed, and after a while burped softly and tried to lift her head to look at Kagome's face. Kagome lifted her down and set her up on her lap, looking into the baby's sapphire blue eyes.

_Kouga…_ she thought. _She has eyes almost the same shade of blue as Kouga's…but she couldn't be his…could she? I mean, that man by the river was her father, right? He sure acted like a father. But Inuyasha said she smelled of Kouga's tribe and that she's a wolf hanyou._ Her thoughts ran away from her as she bundled the sleepy little girl in a warm blanket and snuggled her close.

_Did Kouga have a baby with a human and then abandon them? Perhaps that man and his wife took in the baby hanyou to raise as their own? _Dozens of different scenarios passed through her mind as she laid her head against the wall. Nothing made any sense.

Outside, Miroku and Sango were discussing the baby with Inuyasha. Rather, _they_ were talking and speculating, while he stood silent.

"Do you really think that baby could be Kouga's?" Sango asked, worried.

"I cannot truly comprehend it either, Sango," the monk replied, his hand on his chin and the other holding his shakujou staff. "But that seems to be the most logical explanation."

"But then who was that man? Surely that was the little girl's father."

Miroku glanced over at Inuyasha. "Don't you have anything to say about this situation, Inuyasha?"

"Me?" Inuyasha stared at the monk, his face more than a little pink. "What would I have to say? It's probably just Kouga's by-blow that he didn't want. It's just another unwanted hanyou…"

Miroku and Sango both stood there in dead silence, looking at Inuyasha with sympathy on their faces. They exchanged a glance, and then Sango broke the silence.

"It would seem that Kagome wants her."

Inuyasha opened his mouth to retort, but for once, nothing came out. What could he say? How could he say anything bad about that? He couldn't. So he stood there, completely speechless.

Miroku and Sango turned and, walking arm in arm in the moonlight back to the hut, left him standing there like that.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

Kaede put her finger to her lips in a signal that Miroku and Sango should be quiet as they entered the hut. The young couple looked over at Kagome and the baby, not surprised that the miko had lain down on the floor next to the swaddled infant and fallen asleep.

Miroku settled himself on the floor, glancing over at the snoring Shippou curled up with Kirara in the corner. "It would seem that we should all get our rest," he said softly, his gaze suddenly preoccupied with the dancing flames in the fire-pit. Sango looked up at him and nodded slightly.

"Yes," she said in a hushed tone. "That would be a good idea."

Kaede didn't even give the young couple a second glance as she turned and went into her own private sleeping section of the hut. "Sleep well, ye two," she said as she disappeared around the corner.

Usually, the taijiya and the houshi slept separately in a hut, with the girls on one side of a screen and the boys on the other, Shippou excluded. But tonight Miroku planned to ask Sango to share blankets with him; chastely of course, since they had planned to wed once Naraku had been defeated. They had not yet talked about joining their lives since Naraku's defeat, but Miroku had high hopes.

Miroku arranged two pallets side by side as Sango lay a blanket over Kagome and the sleeping baby hanyou. When she turned back, she saw Miroku lying on one pallet, a blanket ready to drape over two people. "Sango," he whispered as he held out his right hand, which no longer bore the Kazaana, "will you come and share your warmth with me?"

Sango had to beat down the familiar temptation to grab her Hiraikotsu and bonk the hentai over the head. How dare he ask her to sleep with him before they were married! And with Kaede, Kagome, and Shippou in the same room!

The familiar vein began throbbing in her forehead and she clenched a fist, ready to hit the poor monk. He recognized that look and quickly leaped forward on his knees, clasping her hands in his.

"Sango, koi ," he murmured as he kissed her hands. "I had nothing lecherous in mind for tonight, I swear it. I only wanted my itoshii by my side, where she belongs."

His words, his actions, and his sincerity were Sango's undoing. She too fell to her knees and looked into his grey-blue eyes. "M-miroku…" she stammered, completely at a loss of words, her face made even more beautiful by the blush in her cheeks. She had completely misread the situation and now felt horrible about her violent thoughts.

Miroku smiled and gently tugged Sango's hands, so that she lay on the double mats by his side. He reached over and without releasing her gaze pulled the blanket over their bodies. He laid his head by hers, their faces almost touching.

She watched him warily for a long time, as though expecting him to cop a feel or something, but he merely held her hands. Fatigue finally overtook her and she closed her eyes. Then, and only then, did Miroku close his eyes to sleep.

--------------------------

Outside, sitting in a tree and staring at the moon's reflection in the river, Inuyasha remained awake. So many thoughts and questions were going through his head and some of the answers scared him.

_Kagome wants her, huh? Does that mean that she'd love a half-hanyou child just as much? As in…my child? _He blushed furiously then shook his head vigorously as though trying to dislodge such an impure thought.

_What about Kikyou? Would she have been like Kagome? Loving a hanyou child as though it were her own? _His thoughts returned to when Kikyou asked him to become human. _Was she afraid to have a baby with demon blood in it, no matter how little?_

Then came the toughest questions, and he simply didn't have the answers. _Why didn't she want me to stay as a hanyou, like Kagome does? Why did I have to make a choice at all with her, human or youkai? Why wasn't she happy with me as a hanyou? Was that even an option with her?_

All night he had sat in the tree, stewing in his own troubled thoughts and conjectures. He was no closer to having any answers and was feeling even more disturbed. Maybe he should concentrate more on the baby's predicament than on his own. If they followed the man's trail back to his village by the waterfall, perhaps they could discover what really happened.

Inuyasha grinned at the river and cracked his hand. Maybe the youkai that killed that man and his wife has a jewel shard…

---------------------------

Kagome awoke to a pair of sapphire blue eyes staring at her intently. She blinked.

"Oh, good morning, little one!" she greeted the baby hanyou. She lifted the bundle into her lap and proceeded to unwrap her to change her diaper. "Did you sleep well after your big adventure yesterday?"

Kaede walked over and handed the refilled milk skin and another diaper cloth to Kagome. "How did ye sleep, child?"

Kagome smiled at the old woman as she took the offered items. "Arigatou, Kaede. I slept better than I thought I would."

"Miroku and Sango are already up and outside, talking with Inuyasha," Kaede said. "Apparently he came up with a quest for ye to go on."

Kagome scooped up the freshly diapered baby and the milk skin and stood. "Well, first thing I'm gonna do is head back to my time and get some modern supplies for this little one." She laughed. "No offense, but I'd trade these cloths for disposable diapers any day!"

Kaede just shook her head. She didn't understand the concept of "disposable diapers" but she was still respectful of things from Kagome's era. "Have ye come up with a name for her yet?"

Kagome smiled down at the eagerly feasting baby. "Minako."

"_Beautiful child_," Kaede agreed. "Aye, that she is."

Kagome nodded to Kaede and left the hut, Minako in her arms still nursing from the milk skin. She walked over to where it seemed Inuyasha and the others were in conference.

"So you want to follow the man's trail back and see if we can find the youkai that did that to him?" Sango asked, balancing her Hiraikotsu on her back.

"Yeah." Inuyasha nodded, his hands folded inside the sleeves of his fire-rat haori. "We may be able to find the rest of the baby's family and who knows? The youkai that killed them might have a jewel shard."

Kagome joined the group, that old familiar determined look on her face. "I agree," she said with conviction. "We need to find out what happened to Minako's family."

"Minako?" Sango turned to Kagome in surprise. "Oh! Is that what you named her?" The taijiya smiled down at the little hanyou, who in turn blew a milk bubble at her. "And such a beautiful child she is."

"She is well-named, Kagome," Miroku agreed. He too smiled down at the baby, a certain look of longing on his face. "Good choice."

Kagome blushed as she wiped off Minako's mouth, and then put the baby up on her shoulder to burp her. "Arigatou," she said softly. Inuyasha watched her intently as she patted the little girl's back.

Discomfited by his gaze, she looked at the ground, a blush still on her cheeks. "I'll be going back to my time first though," she said quietly. "I need to get some baby essentials."

"Baby…?" Sango asked, confused.

"…Essentials?" Miroku finished, just as confused. Kagome nodded as Minako let out a tiny burp. She lifted her down and settled her in her arms again.

"We have modern conveniences in my time like baby bottles, formula, diapers you throw away when they're soiled, and even things to carry the baby in so you don't have to worry about your hands being full all the time," she said in a rush, still not looking at Inuyasha.

"Well, then by all means," Miroku agreed, "go and get these 'essentials' and then we'll be on our way."

Kagome nodded then finally turned to Inuyasha, who was still watching her with that unwavering golden gaze. "Inuyasha? Will you come with me and help me carry the stuff back?"

"Keh," he said as he crossed his arms and turned away in seeming indifference. "I suppose I'll have to."

"Arigatou, Inuyasha," Kagome said, bowing slightly. Then she turned and led the way to the well with Sango and Miroku behind her. Inuyasha followed at the rear.

"Kagome!" Shippou yelled as he flew out of the vegetation near the well. He came up running, slowing only to jump on Miroku's shoulder. "Are you taking the baby back to your time?"

"Yes, Shippou," she replied with a smile. "We'll be back hopefully in a few hours. Would you like me to bring you anything?"

"Ninja food!" Shippou and Inuyasha said at the same time. The two turned and glared at each other, growling in their throats.

Kagome rolled her eyes. "Inuyasha," she said in exasperation, "_you_ are coming with me, remember?"

Inuyasha blinked, and then walked up to the well, his face pink. "Well, I still want ramen…" he muttered. He jumped into the well and there was a glow of pink light.

Kagome sat on the edge of the well with Minako in her arms. "I'm taking her with me so that I can get her the right size diapers and clothes," she explained as she swung her legs over. The young couple nodded and Shippou waved.

"Come back soon, Kagome!" he called from his perch on Miroku's shoulder. She smiled and turned back toward the well then pushed off from the edge into the blackness within. The familiar glow of pink light engulfed her and she was gone.


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

Inuyasha jumped out of the well with Kagome in his arms, bridal style. She, in turn, held the little hanyou baby, who looked none the worse for wear for her first trip through time. She looked up at Kagome and Inuyasha with big blue eyes and yawned.

Kagome chuckled. "So much for impressing her with the 21st century," she said with a grin. Inuyasha started to grin too then caught himself. He coughed out a "keh!" and led the way out of the well house.

As soon as the well house door was slid open, Kagome's mother opened the back door to come out to greet them. _Oh, boy,_ thought Kagome. _Here it comes…_

_Oh, boy,_ thought Inuyasha. _Here it comes…_

"Kagome!" Her mother said as she walked toward them with a smile on her face. "I happened to see the pink light from the well and hoped it was you coming back! How…was…your…" she slowly trailed off as she approached the two of them and saw the black haired hanyou baby in Kagome's arms.

Kagome, Inuyasha, and her mother all blinked at the same time as silence loomed. "Er, Kagome," her mother said, looking back and forth between the two teenagers and back to the baby. She opened her mouth as if to ask tons of questions, then seemed to think better of it.

Instead she smiled wide and pulled Inuyasha into a hug, while he squirmed and blushed furiously. "Congratulations! When were you going to tell me you two were married?"

Kagome and Inuyasha stared at each other, their faces beet-red. "Um, Mom," Kagome said, looking rather uncomfortable, "we're, um… we're not…"

Inuyasha stood up as straight as he could and took on his best "dead-serious" expression. "We didn't get married, Mrs. Higurashi," he said.

Kagome's mom turned and looked at him, her face falling. "You _didn't_?" Then she glared at him. "You got my baby _pregnant_ and you wouldn't even _marry_ her?"

"Mom!" Kagome cried out, putting one hand on her mother's arm as though to stop the older woman from beating Inuyasha to a pulp. "He didn't get me pregnant! This is a _wolf_ hanyou baby whose father was killed by demons!"

"So this is _Kouga's_ child then? Tell me you at least married _him_!"

A vein popped out in Inuyasha's forehead at the thought of Kagome and Kouga getting married and having little wolf babies everywhere. He clenched his fists and let out a low growl.

"No, Mom!" Kagome said, trying to make her mother understand. "I didn't get married to _anyone_!"

"Did these demons kill Kouga before he could marry you?" her mother interrupted.

Kagome sighed. "Mom, let's go inside. I'll explain everything once we sit down."

----------------------

A little while later, Minako was happily cooing in Kagome's mom's arms. "So this poor little thing has no one?"

"Just me, Mom," Kagome answered. "And I came back to get some baby supplies from this era so that our journey will be easier for all of us."

Kagome's mom suddenly stood up, striking a pose much like a superhero. "This is what I've been waiting for all my life! Shopping for grandchildren! Let's hit the stores!"

Kagome blinked several times. Inuyasha was oblivious- he was nose-deep in ramen. _So she was only waiting for me to have kids so she could spoil them?_ Kagome thought to herself, amused.

After finding a hat for Inuyasha and wrapping Minako in an old baby blanket of Souta's so that her little black ears were covered, the trio set out for the stores. They bought bottles, formula, cloth diapers (Kagome's mother protested about the environmental hazards of disposables), sleepers and blankets. They even found a carrier that Kagome could use to carry Minako on her front.

Wherever they went, everyone wanted to see the baby. Kagome made sure that only her face was exposed, so that her little wolf ears stayed hidden. No way to explain those!

Inuyasha got several slaps on the back in congratulations from the men and the women would smile at Kagome knowingly. Everyone seemed to think the baby was theirs!

Not wanting to spend an eternity trying to explain over and over the actual situation, Kagome just nodded and acted like she knew what they were smiling about. Inuyasha would give the men odd looks and once almost tried to hit a guy back. Kagome had to calm him down before he caused a scene, and she threatened to "osuwari" him if he didn't behave.

Once they were home, Kagome packed up her yellow backpack with the baby stuff and "ninja" food that had been requested, dressed Minako in a cute pink sleeper, wrapped her in a new lavender blanket, and headed toward the well. Inuyasha followed, carrying the backpack.

"'Bye, Mom!" she yelled as she opened the well house door. "We'll see you later!"

"Be careful, Kagome!" her mother yelled back, waving. "And take care of my babies, Inuyasha!"

Inuyasha turned red as he jumped into the well. He had just about had enough of this whole baby business for today, and they still had to begin their journey.

---------------------------

As Inuyasha jumped out of the well with Kagome in his arms again, they were greeted by Shippou and Kirara. "It's about time you got back!" the kitsune. "I'm starving!"

Kagome chuckled, reached into the backpack and pulled out a bag of chips for him. "Will this do?" The little kitsune shrieked in delight as he snatched the bag and began eating.

It was late afternoon by the time they reached Kaede's village. Miroku came out to greet them as Kirara ran past him toward Sango, who stood in the hut's doorway. "I see your shopping trip was successful," he said with a grin.

Kagome grinned back then looked down at the pink-clad baby wrapped in lavender. She certainly stood out against the natural earth tones of this era. But she didn't stand out as much as Kagome did in her school uniform. Kagome turned to Inuyasha and handed him the baby abruptly. "Here- I need to go do some things. I'll be right back."

As Kagome left with Sango, Inuyasha was left holding the little hanyou girl. He held her awkwardly away from his body, as though afraid to hold her close. He looked at her; she looked at him. Blue eyes met gold. Blue eyes looked up and saw white doggie ears.

She grinned, a full-blown smile that couldn't be mistaken for anything but. Inuyasha looked at her, confused for a moment, and then he twitched an ear. Minako giggled then squealed with laughter as he wiggled the other ear. She reached her arms out as though trying to hug the inu-hanyou.

Miroku watched all this from a safe distance away. He never would've guessed that the grumpy hanyou would make such a favorable impression on the little girl. And if Inuyasha knew he was watching all this, his life would be forfeit. He turned and walked away, a smile wide on his face.

It would seem that Inuyasha had a heart after all…

--------------------------------

"So what do you think you'll do?" Sango asked, after Kagome had finished telling her everything that had happened. "From the way it sounds, he's determined to go with Kikyou when everything's said and done." Kagome nodded sadly. Sango put a hand on her friend's shoulder. "Do you still love him?"

Kagome stared into space, mulling the question over in her mind. "I… I-I don't know…" she stammered. "I _do_ love him, although I wonder if only as a friend anymore. I mean, his behavior when my mother asked if he had married me should've broken my heart, but I just felt sort of… numb, I guess."

She sighed dejectedly. "It would seem that he's just broken my heart beyond the point of feeling any more."

"Serves the baka right!" Sango exclaimed fiercely. "Men are more trouble than they're worth."

Kagome laughed, glad her friend was there for her. "Miroku too?"

Sango blushed and stood up, abruptly changing the subject. "So let's go find out what happened to that baby's family."

Kagome stood too. "Yes," she agreed. "Maybe she has family that's looking for her."

"If not," Sango replied, "then we can be her family for her."

-----

Kaede and Shippou waved farewell as the troupe set out the next morning on yet another quest. With Inuyasha sniffing out the trail, they settled into a basic routine. Eat, walk, rest, eat, walk, rest, eat, sleep. No youkai stalked them, no humans crossed their path. It was eerily silent. Everyone was on edge- this was not normal.

"I can hear a waterfall," Inuyasha said one afternoon as Kagome rocked Minako in her arms. She had been such a good baby- quiet yet alert to her surroundings.

"A waterfall?" Miroku asked, intrigued. Inuyasha nodded, but his expression was grim.

"There's the scent of blood all around here. That man must've been attacked around here." He looked toward the sound of the waterfall. "But a thinner blood trail continues back that way."

"So he was continuously attacked as he ran for safety? The poor man," Sango whispered.

"It's amazing he survived to reach us," Miroku agreed.

Kagome stood up. "Then let's get going. Maybe we're getting closer to Minako's family." Everyone nodded.

Inuyasha kept the group following the trail, and soon they came upon a clearing on the edge of the forest. He stopped and looked around as everyone stopped next to him. Off to his left, right next to the edge of the forest, were the remains of a hut. The man's scent led right to the hut.

Silent now, the group walked toward the ruins. Inuyasha sniffed, and then walked a bit faster toward a pile of lumber.

"Where are the other huts? The other villagers?" Sango whispered to Kagome. "Shouldn't there be evidence of them nearby?"

"It looks like this hut was just here by itself," Kagome replied quietly, looking around sadly. "They were all alone here."

The others watched Inuyasha walk away, afraid to even think of what he might have smelled. He started lifting the timber off the pile, until he found what he was apparently looking for.

Kagome covered her mouth with her hand, horrified. Minako, sensing Kagome's anguish, began to howl mournfully. Sango closed her eyes in sorrow and Miroku began chanting the same rites he spoke over the little hanyou's father.

The remains of a female Wolf youkai, clutching a homemade baby blanket in one hand, lay half-buried under the charred timber and rubble, her body ripped almost beyond recognition. They had found Minako's mother.


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6

Sango and Kagome stood next to the ruined hut while Miroku and Inuyasha saw to the burial of the Wolf youkai remains. The two women stared at the wreckage in silence for a long time.

"That explains a few things," Kagome said softly. Minako had finally fallen asleep, but it had taken Kagome a few minutes to calm the infant hanyou down. She sure was sensitive to Kagome's emotions…

"It would seem that Minako's parents really were a Wolf youkai and a human," Sango agreed, slightly surprised. "Usually it is a human woman who takes a male youkai to mate, but in this case we have the opposite."

_So she _isn't_ Kouga's child,_ Kagome thought, somewhat in relief. She didn't return the Wolf youkai leader's vows of love, but she did care for him as a friend and didn't like to think that he would callously father a child and then abandon it and its mother. It really didn't fit his nature.

"Everything is taken care of," Miroku said as the two males approached. "I just pray she is at peace." He handed Kagome the baby blanket that the youkai had held in her hand. "I thought perhaps you would like to keep this for Minako, for when she is older, as a keepsake of her mother and father."

Kagome gently took the blanket, noticing the time and care that someone (Minako's mother, probably?) had taken to soften the cloth and stitch it just right. She straightened her spine and looked at Miroku, nodding. "I'll wash it and keep it just for her. She'll want to know someday."

Inuyasha felt something odd in his heart. His life as a hanyou had been nothing but loneliness and hatred, and he had nothing to remember his mother by except fading memories. His father he never knew at all- yet he had the Tetsusaiga to remind him.

This little hanyou girl might have grown up to know the malice and loathing that he himself had experienced, yet Kagome had swooped in and saved her from such a fate with her usual self-sacrifice. She cared nothing about her own needs- she cared more about others and what they needed or wanted.

As she did for him. She cared so much, that she sacrificed her life, her "education" in her own time to come here day after day and stay with him. She had even told him so- that she _wanted_ to be with him. Did she… _love_ him?

He almost "keh"-ed out loud. He watched silently as Kagome put the baby blanket in her pack, carefully folding the dusty cloth as though it were fine silk.

_Love…_ he had no real concept of _love._ His father had loved his mother and then he died. Inuyasha himself had loved his mother, and she had died. Then he had loved Kikyou, and she died. Death seemed to follow love everywhere in his life. If he loved Kagome, would she die too?

He was afraid to take that chance. Better to not love at all than to risk losing his heart again. But he was also afraid that it was too late for him. He wondered if he was already in love with Kagome.

He shook his head as his cheeks turned pink. He quickly turned away as though bored by the silence so that no one would notice his blush. He was afraid he already knew the answer.

"Come," Miroku said gently as he put his arm around Sango's shoulders. "I think we should go to the Wolf youkai den next."

"To those mangy wolves?" Inuyasha spat out, turning back suddenly. "What in all the hells for?"

Kagome glared at him, but it lacked real anger. She had hoped that he would come around, but he seemed as prejudiced against the wolves as ever. "You shouldn't call them 'mangy' anymore, Inuyasha," she scolded. "They are Minako's family, which is more than we are."

Inuyasha blushed furiously again and jammed his hands into his sleeves. "Feh! Fine!" he snorted. "But I don't have to like it."

Kagome and Sango shared a feminine grin. He sounded just like a spoiled child. He turned and led the way back into the woods without sparing a glance backward.

Kagome stopped at the edge of the woods and looked back at the ruins of the hut. She bowed respectfully one last time, then turned and followed the others into the forest.

-------------------

It was almost two days later when they finally arrived at the waterfall that housed the last three members of the Wolf youkai pack and the true wolves they commanded. Kouga's two tribesmen, Ginta and Hakkaku, were nowhere to be seen, which in itself wasn't that odd. They were usually following their leader wherever he ran off to.

Inuyasha sniffed, making a face. "He's here, all right," he said with a grin. "And he's got company."

"Company?" Kagome said, confused? She looked at Inuyasha for a moment, and then her attention was brought back to the entrance of the cave behind the waterfall by two figures in a heated argument.

"I told you, Ayame, I love Kagome!" Kouga yelled in the face of the attractive redhead Wolf youkai. She glared right back at him.

"And I told you, she won't have you! She said so herself!" she yelled back. "So just marry me like you promised!"

"I….!" Kouga began, but broke off as he noticed the audience watching them in amusement. Kagome and Inuyasha stood slightly apart from Miroku and Sango, and Kouga, of course, only had eyes for Kagome. He rushed to her and clasped her hands in his, looking ever-so-lovestarved. Ayame stood back and watched helplessly, fuming silently.

"Kagome, my love!" he said boldly. "I knew you couldn't stay away from me for too long! I know how…much…..you……." He looked down then and saw the little black-haired hanyou asleep in the sling carrier on Kagome's front. "….missed me?"

Kouga's feral blue gaze went in disbelief to Kagome's eyes to downright ire at Inuyasha's. Before Kagome could really blink, Kouga was standing in front of Inuyasha, challenging the inu-hanyou once again.

"So you took what was mine, eh, dog-shit?" he growled. "What did ya do? Seduce her and give her your pup in thinking that I wouldn't want her anymore?" Ayame looked confused. Then a flicker of hope entered her leaf-green eyes.

Inuyasha was confused for a minute as he growled back in Kouga's face, and then it all began to sink in. Kouga thought the little hanyou was _Inuyasha's_ pup.

With Kagome.

Oh ho _ho…_Inuyasha almost laughed out loud. Instead, he straightened up, crossed his arms, and took on his best "I'm-a-badass" pose again, complete with grin.

"She was never yours to begin with, dumbass," he said smugly, that grin still plastered on his face. Kagome just watched the two of them, a totally confused look on her face. What was happening here?

"I claimed her first, therefore she was _mine_!" Kouga yelled in Inuyasha's face. The inu-hanyou continued to look unconcerned at the furious Wolf's ire.

"Apparently, _I_ 'claimed' her first," Inuyasha retorted complacently, calmly examining the claws on his left hand.

Kagome almost died of mortification on the spot.

Miroku and Sango exchanged a glance and then slowly began backing away from Kagome as she fumed. Ayame noticed the look in Kagome's eyes and she too backed up a bit. Inuyasha never saw it coming.

"OSUWARI!" she screamed, scaring little Minako awake. "Osuwari, osuwari osuwari osuwari **OSUWARI**!"

WHAM! Inuyasha was flattened out of his smug-ness by a mouthful of dirt. As the "point" was driven home (wham, wham, wham, wham, **WHAM**) and he was driven deeper into the ground, Minako began her howling.

Kouga paused, listening intently. "Wait a minute," he muttered in disbelief. He walked over to where Kagome stood, still radiating fury. He stood a few feet away in caution of her anger and looked at the baby more closely. He sniffed.

"HEY!" he cried out in surprise. "Where did you get that baby! It's not yours!"

Miroku stepped forward cautiously. "Interesting, Kouga," he said in a pacifying tone. "How can you tell that the baby isn't Kagome's?"

"Duh! Any fool can tell that this is a Wolf youkai cub!" He growled at the houshi. "But what _I_ want to know is why it smells like a Wolf from _my_ pack!"

Kagome made soothing noises to the baby howling in her arms.

"If you and Ayame and willing to sit down peacefully with us and listen, we'll tell you what we know," Sango said. "Maybe," she added quietly, "you'll be able to help fill in some of the holes."

---------------------

"So," Sango finished saying while Kagome rocked Minako on her shoulder, "we know that her mother was a Wolf youkai and her father was a human. What we _don't_ know is who that Wolf youkai was or the human's name either."

Kagome reached into her backpack and pulled out the dusty baby blanket that Miroku had saved. "This is all we have left of them." Kouga took the blanket and took a delicate sniff.

Kouga closed his eyes in sorrow, sighing softly. "Kasumi." Ayame looked pained.

The others glanced from one Wolf youkai to the other.

"Kasumi?" Miroku asked. What did _mist_ have to do with this?

Kouga looked up, his face stricken. "Kasumi- she was my older sister," he explained. "She was not raised to be leader because she was not the male, but she was trained well to be a powerful alpha female."

His blue eyes took on a faraway look. "She was sought after by male Wolf youkai in every tribe to be their mate. She was so lovely. Long black hair with large sapphire blue eyes. No man could resist her."

"She had followed my grandfather up into the mountains when I was taken for my training," Ayame continued softly. "But a few years later she suddenly vanished."

She looked at Kouga sadly. "We had thought the worst, but we had no proof. We mourned her and moved on."

Kouga looked at the blue-eyed baby hanyou on Kagome's shoulder with a hint of disgust. "And now you have brought her cub back to us," he said. "Why?"

Kagome snapped her head up, looking at Kouga with a trace amount of… fear? Miroku saw the worried look on her face and quickly spoke up to clear up the misunderstanding.

"We did not know the child was your niece, Kouga," he said, putting his hands up in a peaceful gesture. "We had not planned on coming here at all. It was only after we saw that her mother was a Wolf youkai that we decided to come and question you. That's all."

Ayame looked at Minako with more than a little longing. Kagome saw this and quickly dampened the twinge of possessiveness that pricked her heart. She smiled and held out the pink sleeper-clad baby to the Wolf youkai. "Would you mind holding her for me? My arms are so tired!"

Blinking in surprise, Ayame nodded once and took the little hanyou in her arms. Immediately her face softened as she looked into Minako's sapphire eyes. The baby stared in mute wonder back at Ayame's face. "Why doesn't she smile?"

Kagome smiled and started to shake her head, wanting to explain that maybe Minako was probably just too young to really smile yet, when Inuyasha appeared by her side and spoke up.

"She smiles. She laughs too."

Everyone except Miroku looked up at him, incredulous, and Kouga even scoffed. "And how would _you_ know that, mutt?"

Inuyasha reached down and shockingly, picked Minako up out of Ayame's arms.

"You better watch how you use that word, _wolf,_ because your niece is a 'mutt' too."

Kouga growled as Inuyasha held Minako up in front of him, her little legs kicking air. Blue eyes met gold once again and the kicking stopped. Once again, blue eyes looked up and spied the familiar white doggie ears. Inuyasha twitched his ears, causing everyone watching him to freeze in shock.

Minako squealed in delight and smiled wide, reaching out her hands for a hug from Inuyasha. He smiled back at her, and then settled her in his arms so she could snuggle.

He turned around and, smiling smugly, struck his famous "I'm-a-badass" pose again, although this time the result was somewhat different because of the baby giggling in his arms. "Told you."

Everyone fell over.


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7

Inuyasha was sitting on a rock nearby playing with Minako while the rest of the group recovered. Everyone, that is, except Kagome. She continued to stare at Inuyasha as though she had never seen him before.

"So who is taking care of the cub now?" Ayame asked.

"Kagome has more or less adopted her," Miroku replied. "Minako's father's final request was that Kagome guard her with her life and she has done more than that."

He looked over at the two hanyous, one white haired, one black haired. "She's loved her as only a mother can."

Kouga looked at Kagome, that familiar confident look coming onto his face. "You know, Kagome, once we're mated we can raise Minako as our own, and then we'll have more cubs… OW!" Ayame hit him over the head, glaring.

"Baka!" she yelled. "Can't you see that she doesn't love you _or_ want to be your mate? I'm the only one who loves you!" She froze as the words left her mouth, her cheeks blushing bright red, horrified that she had confessed her feelings so abruptly.

Kouga paused in rubbing the lump on his head. He looked at the redheaded Wolf youkai by his side. "You… _you love me?_"

Miroku and Sango glanced at each other and silently and respectfully moved away from their conversation.

Ayame looked at Kagome and back to Kouga. She stood up and walked away, with Kouga following after her, still rubbing his head. "Ow! Oi, wait! Ayame!"

The embarrassed she-Wolf started to run, tears starting to form in her eyes. She only made it a little ways into the woods before a hand grabbed her wrist and pulled her around. She struggled in the arms of her pursuer as they held her close.

"Ayame, wait!" Kouga cried. "Did you mean it? Did you mean what you said?"

Ayame kept her eyes shut tight so that he couldn't see her tears, but they slid down her cheeks anyway. "I don't know what you're talking about."

"You said you loved me. Was that true?"

"Why does it matter? _You_ love Kagome!"

"I thought you only wanted to marry me because I was the tribe leader and because of that stupid promise I made!"

"Well, you _did_ promise me first! And it wasn't stupid!"

"Baka! You can't love me because of that promise!"

"_You're_ the baka! It has nothing to do with who you are or because of some promise you made to me when I was a child!"

"Ha! Then why do you keep bringing it up?"

"Because I wanted you to marry me!"

"Why?"

"Because I love you, remember?"

Kouga chuckled. "Oh, yeah," he said with a wolfish grin. "I remember." And with that finally said, he tightened his hold on his she-Wolf, dipped his head and kissed her long and hard.

When he finally released her, she stood there, stunned, and stared into his eyes. "What?" he asked.

"What about Kagome?"

He chuckled again. "I'm pretty sure dog-shit will console her broken heart. After all, she'll be devastated when she finds out I can't marry her."

Ayame gave him a wry look. "Oh? You can't marry her now?"

"Nope. I'm already promised to someone else."

------------------------------

Kagome remained where she had been sitting, still watching Inuyasha and Minako with a whole mixture of emotions on her face, oblivious to anything else going on. Her whole world revolved around those two hanyous in her life. She stood up and walked over to where they sat.

"Oi, Inuyasha," Kagome said softly. He turned around and saw her looking at him with a smile on her face.

Minako saw Kagome and giggled happily, reaching her little arms out for her adoptive mother. He handed her to Kagome and then folded his hands inside his sleeves.

"So are you going to leave her here with Kouga and Ayame or are you gonna keep her?"

Kagome settled Minako in her arms and started rocking the suddenly sleepy baby. Minako yawned a few times, fighting sleep with all her little strength.

"I… I don't know what I should do. I only want what's best for her."

"They're not going to know what to do with her."

"What?" Kagome looked confused. "What do you mean?"

Inuyasha looked straight into her eyes. "I mean that they're not going to know what to do with a hanyou. You and I both know how he feels about 'mutts.' Ayame has said pretty much the same thing to me before, so she's no better."

Kagome sighed in agreement, looking down at the peacefully sleeping baby. "Still- she's his niece. And I don't know how to raise a hanyou either…"

"I do."

Kagome lifted her head in shock, staring into Inuyasha's gold eyes. "Wha-?"

He held her gaze for a moment. "I could do it," he said, then he looked down at Minako. "I mean, _we_ could do it…." A slight blush stained his cheeks.

"…together."

Kagome was speechless for a long time. When she finally managed to create a logical thought and a coherent sentence, there were tears in her eyes.

"Hai," she agreed. "We'll do it together."

Inuyasha looked at Kagome, a stunned look on his face. The blush on his cheeks reddened. "Y-you… _want_ to?" he stammered. "I-I mean, w-with _me_?"

Kagome only nodded.

Silence loomed for a moment as Inuyasha gazed into Kagome's beautiful brown eyes. Beautiful? When did he finally notice that his Kagome was beautiful? When did he stop seeing her as just a jewel shard finder? Or worse, as Kikyou's reincarnation?

Something odd swelled up inside his chest that he just couldn't put a name to. Fear, loneliness, hatred, anger- these were emotions he knew and understood. This feeling he had whenever he was with Kagome, or even when she wasn't around…

Was it true then? Could Miroku and Sango have been right about his true feelings toward Kagome?

Impulsively, he reached out and grasped Kagome's free hand in one of his. As soon has he touched her, he knew. As surely as there was a moon in the sky, he knew.

_He loved her._ With his entire mean, rude, unworthy hanyou heart, he loved her. Not in the same way he had loved Kikyou- no. Kikyou had merely opened his heart so that it was capable of love. Kagome, ah Kagome took his heart and filled it to overflowing with her own love and compassion.

Inuyasha's heart had finally been freed. He pulled a _carpe diem_ and released Kagome's hand to place both of his hands on either side of her neck, his thumbs resting gently on her cheeks in front of her ears.

As swiftly as he had captured her, he pulled her to him. But his intent was not to hug her, as he had done often before. Oh no.

He brought her face to his, pressing his lips to hers. In one bold move, he had gone from a confused hanyou to an understanding man. He thought she might pull away, so he held her firmly, yet gently, as he held the kiss.

When he finally let her go, he looked into her eyes and held his breath, afraid of what she might say next. She blinked as though dazed.

"What was _that_ for?" she murmured, a stunned look on her face.

"Uh…" White ears twitched.

She leaned closer, until their noses were almost touching. He could smell her scent, of wildflowers and sunshine, of summer and warmth, all around him. He turned crimson.

"Was it an accident?"

"Keh! No!"

"You mean you kissed me _on purpose?_"

Blink. "…Maybe…"

"Why?"

There was a whole barrel-full of reasons why, yet the only reason he could come up with was-

"Because I wanted to, that's why!"

The best reason of all.

Kagome blushed. "But I thought you were going to be with…Kikyou," she said softly, looking down at the sleeping baby. "I mean, you loved her and promised her…"

He cut her off. "Look, wench, I did have feelings for her, but that was fifty years ago!" he shouted. "And in case you hadn't noticed, she's_ dead."_

Kagome punched him in the arm. "Keep it down, baka!" she hissed. "You'll wake the baby."

He mentally grinned. However, he had an image to maintain. "Besides, woman," he said in a low voice, keeping up the gruff façade he usually bore, "I have to take care of my family now. I can't keep chasing after specters from the past."

Kagome stared at him, speechless.

Minako yawned and stretched, lifting her little arms up over her head as far as they would go and arching her back. Inuyasha looked down at the little hanyou with half a grin. Then he frowned and looked up, glaring at someone behind Kagome.

Kouga and Ayame had walked up behind them, looking a bit disheveled and extremely satisfied. Inuyasha's jaw dropped and he quickly closed it. He muttered a "keh!" and stuffed his hands inside his sleeves. Trust that wolf to ruin the mood…

"Well, Kagome," Kouga said cheerfully, "we'll be taking that little mongrel off your hands now."

Kagome gasped. Inuyasha surged to his feet and faced off against the Wolf demon leader, growling deep in his throat. "What did you call her?"

"I called her Kagome- why?"

"No, shit-for-brains," Inuyasha growled again. "You know perfectly well what I'm talking about!"

"What?" Kouga asked with a grin. "That's what she is. She may be my niece, but she's still a mutt." He leaned forward and stuck his tongue out at Inuyasha. "Just like someone else I know."

Kagome sat there, stunned. She had known that Kouga had always referred to Inuyasha as "mutt-face" and other derogatory terms, but she hadn't realized how deep his aversion to hanyous really ran. She looked at Ayame and to her surprise, the she-Wolf was grinning like mad, totally approving of Kouga's explanation. She hugged Minako tighter in her arms as though trying to protect the little girl from all the evils of the world with her presence alone.

"Look, it's not like you have any other choice, Kagome," Ayame added, still with that damned grin on her face. "You're just a kid yourself- Kouga and I are way older than you and we'd have a better idea of how to raise cubs. It's part of being a part of the Wolf demon tribe. Even though she's just a half-breed." Ayame made a face for a split second, then that grin was back.

"There's no way she'll keep up with other cubs, but what other choice does she really have?" Kouga asked Ayame scornfully. "Mutts like them are just that- mongrels, with all of the problems and none of the benefits of us full youkai."

Kagome was about to explode and rain down a volcano of fire and fury onto the two Wolf youkai that stood there and acted like they were doing Minako a _favor_ by offering to take her into their den. Inuyasha beat her to it.

Before Kouga knew what was happening, he was laid out flat on the ground, caught off guard with Inuyasha's fist connecting with his jaw.

"How in the_ hell_ do you think we're going to let you take Minako and raise her as an outcast just because she's a _hanyou_?" he yelled, his hand resting on Tetsusaiga's hilt, shaking with the effort to not pull the fang-sword out and blast the damned Wolves to the netherworld. "She's better than you _and_ your stupid bitch combined!"

Still seething with anger, hatred, and loathing, Inuyasha snorted at Kouga on the ground, ignoring Ayame as he turned back to Kagome and Minako.

The little hanyou looked up at Inuyasha with those sapphire eyes and all his anger dissipated. He smiled at Kagome, a genuine smile, something she rarely saw. She smiled back as he reached over to take Minako from her arms.

"Now, gimme my daughter, would ya?"

----------

**Author's note: **NO, I do not really feel that Kouga or Ayame would be this cruel, but for the sake of my story, they are portrayed as prejudiced. My apologies to all Kouga fangirls (I happen to be one of you)!


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter 8**

Miroku and Sango hurried over as they saw Inuyasha knock Kouga flat to the ground. _This can't be good,_ was both the monk and the taijiya's thought as they came to a stop next to the Wolf youkai leader in the grass.

"Gimme my daughter, would ya?"

Four heads snapped to attention on Inuyasha as he took Minako from Kagome's arms. Kagome and the others stared at him, completely bewildered at the inu-hanyou's claim. Kouga sat up, flexing his jaw and wiping a thin trickle of blood off the corner of his mouth.

"What the hell do you mean _your_ daughter?" Kouga demanded, standing up quickly and causing Miroku and Sango to edge closer to Kagome. "That little mongrel is my sister's cub, and I'll be skinned and hung on a wall before I'd let a _mutt_ like you take her and do kami knows what with her!"

"She's _our_ pup now and _we_ will treat her with the respect she deserves, you fucking bastard!" Inuyasha spit back. Minako grabbed wildly for the ear closest to her, trying vainly to latch her fingers around the soft triangular appendage.

"_What_ respect?" Kouga yelled. "_She's a half-breed! _ She doesn't deserve respect- she deserves to be drowned!"

Everyone, including Ayame, gasped, then dead silence.

"Kouga…" Ayame whispered as she laid a hand on her mate. "I thought we were going to raise her as our own, not kill her!" Kouga never took his eyes off Inuyasha as the hanyou slowly and methodically handed the baby back to Kagome. His eyes were concealed by the silver fringe of his bangs and his ears were laid back, almost flat against his head.

"Fucking wolf," he growled, low and deep in his throat. "You just dug your own grave…"

His head slowly came up, his gaze resting on the male Wolf youkai in front of him. His whole body pulsed, radiating power and fury like a heartbeat. Inuyasha's eyes were no longer gold, but had shifted to scarlet. A jagged purple streak appeared on each side of his face and he lifted one hand up, brandishing longer, lethal claws before tightening into a fist. He bared his teeth, a cold, calculated smile that showed his lengthened fangs.

"Inuyasha, no!" Miroku cried, pulling Sango further away from the hanyou.

"He's transformed again- into a full youkai!" Sango whispered, horrified. "Yet the Tetsusaiga is still with him! How is this possible?"

Kagome simply stood there watching Inuyasha as though it were happening to someone else, somewhere else. She heard a squeal and she quickly looked down at Minako in her arms.

The little wolf hanyou was giggling and reaching out to Inuyasha, despite the fact that he had transformed. Kagome tightened her hold on the baby, trying to protect her. "No, Minako! He's dangerous!"

Inuyasha's crimson gaze turned back to Kagome and the baby, and she tensed, getting ready to run away if he should decide to attack them. His eyes returned to gold, but the youkai marks on his cheeks remained, as did his lengthened fangs and claws.

"I'm in full control, Kagome," Inuyasha rumbled, a gentle and soothing sound that contrasted greatly with his ferocious appearance. "I would never harm you or _our pup_."

He turned back to Kouga, who was eyeing Inuyasha as though he had never seen him before. "Now take her and the others and get somewhere safe while I take care of this pathetic excuse for a youkai."

Miroku and Sango grabbed Ayame and pulled her away as she protested half-heartedly. She didn't want Kouga killed, but she also didn't really want to stay and confront the angry inu-hanyou-turned-youkai. Kagome paused briefly before fleeing as well.

"Don't kill him, Inuyasha," she whispered.

"Don't worry," he growled as he flexed his claws again at Kouga. "I won't stoop to his level." With a nod of gratitude, Kagome fled, Minako protesting the whole way.

"Now," Inuyasha snarled. "I may have promised her that I wouldn't kill you, but that doesn't mean I won't make you _wish_ you were dead…"

"Pfft!" Kouga scoffed. "I'd like to see you _try_ to land a blow on me, let alone maim me. Your stink may have changed, but you're still a pathetic dog-shit."

"You asked for it, bastard," Inuyasha said under his breath. He ran at the Wolf, claws bared.

Kouga smirked. "You are so predictable, _mongrel_," he said smugly. He jumped into the air in an effort to dodge the oncoming attack. He looked down, expecting to see Inuyasha standing in the spot that Kouga had just vacated. Instead, there was only the grass.

"You'd better pay closer attention than that, _wolf_," Inuyasha growled in Kouga's ear. Kouga's eyes snapped open in shock right before Inuyasha blasted his back, slamming Kouga to the ground, causing debris to fly.

Kouga sat up, wincing. That stupid dog had managed to slice his back open, and that was only the first blow! He readied himself as Inuyasha landed next to him, flexing his blood-tipped claws.

"That was for Kagome," he growled softly.

:"Kagome? What the hell for?"

"For kidnapping her and _trying_ to claim her as yours!"

"She was more mine than yours, dog-shit!"

"Not anymore, bastard…"

Moving faster than Kouga could have imagined, Inuyasha landed another slash to Kouga's stomach, slicing it open as well. The Wolf youkai gasped and coughed, spitting up blood as he doubled over. How the hell did he get faster than him?

"That was for Minako."

"Worthless….half-breed…"

Inuyasha's gaze flickered red again before returning to gold. With a quick swipe of his already-bloodied claws, he removed the jewel shards from Kouga's legs.

"What the hell do you think you're doing, dog-shit?"

"You are no longer worthy of using these shards," Inuyasha growled. "I'm giving them back to _my_ mate so she can complete the Shikon no Tama."

"_Your_ mate?" Kouga laughed, spitting out more blood. "She'd never have a half-breed mongrel like you, when she could've had a real youkai like me." He sniffed. "Besides," he grinned weakly, "you haven't _really _taken her as your mate yet or you'd smell like it. You're just full of shit."

Those golden eyes flickered red again. He punched Kouga again, this time leaving deep gouges in his cheek as a reminder. The Wolf demon fell to the ground, unconscious.

"That was for me." He turned and walked away, toward the river to wash off the Wolf's blood. "Because you threatened my family…"

-------------------------

Kagome paced back and forth in front of Miroku and Sango, who were sitting patiently on a fallen log deep in the forest nearby Kouga's cave-den. Sango held a very subdued Minako, who had fallen quite silent once leaving Inuyasha's sight.

Ayame had disappeared back into the den after being forced to leave Kouga's side, her lovely face completely blank with the staggering knowledge that her new mate was so prejudiced against hanyous that he'd be willing to kill his own flesh and blood.

"You don't really think that Inuyasha would kill Kouga, do you, Houshi-sama?" Sango whispered to Miroku. He closed his eyes and shook his head, unwilling to voice aloud his concerns to his beautiful taijiya.

Sango turned her attention back to the pacing Kagome, who was looking ready to do battle with Naraku all over again.

"Kagome, do stop pacing. It won't bring Inuyasha back here any faster."

Kagome whirled and fixed a fiery gaze upon the unwary monk. He blinked and backed up a few inches. "G-gomen nasai…"

She turned away with a sigh. Truth was, she was scared for Inuyasha. She knew the penalties for his transformation. Would he still be the hanyou she loved and adored, or would he become a blood-thirsty killer again?

The rustling of foliage drew the attention of three adults and one little hanyou. Was it Kouga? Or Inuyasha, now bent on destruction of all living things in his path?

Minako squealed in delight as Inuyasha stepped out of the flora, his face lowered and his features covered by silver strands. Was he here to finish them off?

Inuyasha looked up, his golden eyes clear and focused as his gaze met Kagome's. The lengthened fangs and claws had shortened back to their original length. One thing remained oddly evident, however.

The marks on his cheeks.

The jagged purple streaks on each cheekbone were still visible although all of the other traits of his transformation had disappeared. Kagome took a hesitant step forward, her hand partially raised as though afraid to touch him.

"Inuyasha? What happened?"

He smirked, the "I'm-a-badass" grin returning to his face while he took up the accompanying pose. "Keh! What do you _think_ happened, wench?"

Everyone visibly jumped at his oh-so-normal demeanor. Sango exchanged a glance with Miroku. "You mean you killed Kouga?" the monk asked politely.

Inuyasha stuffed his hands into the sleeves of his haori and snorted. "Don't be a baka, monk! I didn't kill that stupid wolf."

Everyone visibly relaxed. Kagome and Sango's gaze remained locked on the marks on Inuyasha's face. Sango stood up and stepped next to Kagome, Minako still straining in her arms to get to Inuyasha. "Inuyasha," Sango asked slowly, "what is on your face?"

Inuyasha looked at her skeptically. "Whaddya mean, 'what's on my face?' I would assume all the stuff that's supposed to be there _is_ there."

"All that and more, my friend," Miroku added, stepping forward as well.

Inuyasha snorted again and reached for Minako. "I dunno what you're talking about. I washed off all that mangy wolf blood before I came here."

Kagome gasped. "Wolf blood?"

He had the decency to look embarrassed. "Keh… yeah. I sliced him up pretty good. Didn't kill him, but made him think twice about 'weak' hanyous."

He plucked Minako out of Sango's arms and the little girl squealed in delight again. He lifted her up and regarded her at eye level. "Ain't _nothing_ weak about _my_ pup."

Kagome relaxed. He was acting normal- normal for Inuyasha, anyway. The marks on his cheeks didn't seem to be affecting him in any obvious way- and he didn't even seem to realize they were there. What did they mean? Why didn't they vanish after everything else did?

Miroku coughed. "Perhaps, seeing as we have concluded our business here, we should head back to Lady Kaede's village. I'm sure Shippou is concerned about our welfare."

Sango nodded in agreement. The two humans turned away and began to walk away, leaving Kagome and Inuyasha gazing at each other while Minako snuggled into her adoptive father's arms.

"Inuyasha? Are you… okay?"

"Keh! Why _wouldn't_ I be okay?"

"It's just… you look different."

He cocked his head to the side and regarded her in confusion. "Whaddya mean 'different'? What's with you and Sango all of a sudden?"

Kagome was silent for a while. She reached over and gently lifted a yawning Minako out of his arms. The little hanyou smiled sleepily up at her new mother and settled herself comfortably, with her cheek resting on Kagome's shoulder. Kagome looked into Inuyasha's mesmerizing golden gaze.

"Your cheeks, Inuyasha. You still have those purple streaks from when you transformed. They didn't go away."


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 9

Miroku and Sango alternatively glanced back every few minutes or so to sneak a peek at the purple stripes still decorating Inuyasha's cheeks. The grumpy hanyou had stuffed his hands inside his sleeves once more as he stalked behind the human couple. Kagome carried a peacefully sleeping Minako in her arms, the tiny black head resting on her shoulder.

Kagome watched Inuyasha become more and more agitated as the monk and the taijiya continued to watch him. His scowl became darker with each incident. "Oi! You got a problem?"

Red-faced, the humans turned around and focused on their trek back to the village. "N-no, Inuyasha," Sango stammered.

"Um, Inuyasha?" Kagome asked hurriedly, trying to change the subject. "Why is Minako so… alert… for a baby?"

"Keh! Because she's hanyou, wench."

"Huh? What does that have to do with anything?"

He sighed impatiently. "Youkai children develop much, much faster than ningen babies. Hanyous split the difference. She'll be walking by six months, talking by nine. Maybe sooner."

Miroku whistled in amazement. Sango nodded in agreement. "I never knew that- we never had to deal with youkai offspring."

Kagome raised an eyebrow. "You never killed young youkai?"

Sango shook her head. "Youkai tend to hide their offspring until they're capable of feeding themselves. At least, that's what my father told me."

Inuyasha didn't add anything. He knew very little about full youkai family traits. He turned his attention back to the task of keeping an eye out for danger.

"Don't worry, Inuyasha," Kagome said brightly, trying to lighten the mood. "We'll be home soon. Shippou will be so glad to see us again."

"Keh!"

Everyone smiled privately- they all knew Inuyasha acted tough, but he really had a soft spot for the young kitsune.

---------------

"They're here, Grandma Kaede! They finally got back!"

Kaede glanced up from the stew she was stirring. Darkness had just fallen on the small village and Shippou had taken to staring out of the door of her small hut, eager for any sign of his friends. She smiled in amusement as the young fox ran out the door. _Ah, the impetuousness of youth…_

"Grandma Kaede! Come see!"

Shippou's cry of excitement carried through the thin walls of the hut. The old miko smiled and laid her spoon to the side. _I wonder what delight the young one has found now?_

Standing slowly and making her way to the door of the hut, she blinked as she regarded the scene before her eyes. Kagome and Inuyasha were standing quite close to each other- closer than normal. Kagome held the little black-haired hanyou baby in her arms and Inuyasha watched them with a _very_ protective stance. _What events led to this?_

Stepping closer, Kaede noticed that Inuyasha bore twin purple marks on his cheeks- one on each side. Hoping that she emanated nonchalance, Kaede smiled at the young couple. "Welcome back, Kagome, Inuyasha. Was ye not able to find the babe's kin?"

Kagome blushed. "Well… erm- that is…"

Inuyasha snorted. "We _are_ the pup's family, old woman."

Kaede blinked in surprise. Well. This was a new development. "Ye are? As in all four of ye?"

"Senile old hag! Kagome and I are her parents!"

"Inuyasha! _Osuwari!_"

Kaede looked calmly at Kagome as the dust settled on the prone form of Inuyasha. Kagome stepped over Inuyasha and walked serenely next to the old miko toward the hut. "Minako is ours now, Kaede. Inuyasha and I have… decided to raise her together."

Kaede smiled knowingly. "Ah, so ye are like that now?"

Kagome blushed again. "I don't know. I just know that we're doing this as a team, if nothing else."

_I doubt that ye will be only "teammates" in this endeavor, young miko…_

------------

Minako lay on her tummy in the grass, watching Shippou with wide blue eyes. The kitsune was entertaining the little girl with his toy top while Inuyasha and Kagome sat nearby. The silver-haired hanyou kept his golden gaze on his new daughter, but it was evident there was something he wanted to discuss with Kagome.

"Ok, Inuyasha. You've got my attention. What did you want to say?"

He scowled, flushing as he turned his head away from her briefly. A moment later his watchful eyes moved back to Minako as though he were gaining strength just from looking at her. "Kaede said something about the fact that we couldn't raise Minako."

"Oh? What do you mean?"

He snorted. "She said that pups need parents that are committed to each other. Something about they need to know 'stability' in their families."

"And? She doesn't think we can give her what she needs?"

"Oi, wench! She's trying to say we need to be mated in order to raise our pup properly!"

Silence.

"She said that, did she?"

"Keh! No! But I know that's what she was _trying_ to say!"

Kagome watched Shippou and Minako for a moment, smiling slightly when the little girl tried to grab his tail. "But what do _you_ say? Do you agree with that?"

He grunted, blushing deeper. "Only if that's what you want."

"I told you, baka… I just want to be with you."

"Keh! Fine then!"

"So, what now? Are you declaring us inu and bitch and we're officially mated?"

"Oi! You're completely clueless, wench, ya know that?"

"Well, _excuse_ _me_! I don't know how it happens!"

He suddenly stood up, his face bright red. "I'm not talking about this anymore." He turned and walked away, heading for the river nearby. Kagome watched him go, bemused.

_What isn't he telling me?_

---------------------------

Inuyasha sat in his favorite tree, staring at the sunset without really seeing it. His mind was filled with thoughts about a certain miko from the future and none of it was anything he'd ever admit to thinking.

Kaede hinted- _more_ than hinted- that he needed to make Kagome his mate. For Minako's sake, for Kagome's sake, for _his_ sake. But the question remained: how _did_ he claim her as his?

He scowled. He had no idea of what he was supposed to do. He had hoped that Kagome would know- but being from an entirely different time period, not to mention being human- she was as clueless as he. Kaede was no better. He needed advice and he needed it soon.

He growled deep in his throat as his claws dug into the branch, cracking the poor tree with his strength. It seemed that he had only one feasible solution.

Sesshoumaru.

_Damn it._ He jumped down from the tree before he did any more damage to the innocent tree. _I'll just have to find that bastard brother of mine, get the stupid answer, and get back here before Kagome heads back to her time without me._

He started running for his brother's lands. _The sooner I get there, the sooner I get back to my pup and Kagome._

--------------

"Lord Sesshoumaru! Rin picked you some pretty flowers!"

The Inu no Taishou, Sesshoumaru of the Western Lands, turned slightly toward the perky voice. His golden gaze regarded the little girl holding a bouquet of various colored flowers up for his approval. He held back an uncharacteristic smile as Rin beamed up at him.

"Again, Rin? Can't you leave Lord Sesshoumaru alone? He's much too busy to be bothered with an annoying human like _you_!" Jaken, Sesshoumaru's toad-youkai underling, scolded the little girl about everything she did, but that never got the bubbly child down.

"Jaken." Sesshoumaru's cultured voice cut through the toad-youkai's complaining like a knife. Jaken's large bug-like eyes blinked in fear as he looked up at his master.

"Y-yes… L-lord Sessh-shoumaru?" he stammered out, clutching the Staff of Two Heads tightly in his warty little hands.

"Leave her be."

"H-hai, my lord."

Sesshoumaru turned and began walking away once more. Jaken caught the reins of the two-headed dragon, Ah-Un, as Rin skipped merrily along behind the Inu no Taishou.

The Dog demon stopped, catching a somewhat familiar scent on the wind. It was Inuyasha's scent, yet had a very odd… _tinge_ to it. Not full-youkai smell, like when the hanyou had transformed uncontrollably before. No, this was more of a blend of his normal annoying hanyou scent and that youkai one. _Inuyasha_, he thought in disgust. _What does that miserable half-breed want now?_

Surely enough, a familiar red and silver figure dropped out of the trees to land on all fours in front of Sesshoumaru. His face was hidden in shadow but his eyes glowed bright gold within the darkness. Rin and Jaken stopped cold, with the little toad-youkai began spouting threats as usual. "Insolent half-breed! Get out of Lord Sesshoumaru's way!"

Sesshoumaru silenced his minion with a glance. "What do you want, hanyou?"

"Keh! I just want an answer, Sesshoumaru."

Sesshoumaru almost raised a perfect eyebrow in surprise. "An answer? You mean there is something that you, in all your infinite wisdom, do not know?"

"Don't fuck with me, bastard! I wouldn't have come if I didn't have a choice."

"I see. Very well." He turned to his followers. "Jaken. Watch Rin."

Jaken bowed so low to the ground that his beak-like mouth touched the ground. "Y-yes, my lord."

Sesshoumaru turned back to Inuyasha. He began walking away from his entourage, leaving the hanyou to follow behind.

----------

"What is it you want, little brother?"

Much to the youkai's surprise- again- his brother looked to the side, his face still hidden in shadow.

"Iwanttoknowhowtotakeamate."

"Pardon?"

Inuyasha took a deep breath and tried again, slower. "I… want to know… how… to take a mate."

Sesshoumaru blinked. If he didn't have perfect hearing, he would've thought he was hearing things. "You _what?_"

"Dammit! I want to take Kagome as my mate and I don't fucking know how!"

If Sesshoumaru weren't, well, _Sesshoumaru_, he would've fallen over laughing. Instead, all that came out was a somewhat strangled "You're serious?"

"Knew I should've gone elsewhere," Inuyasha muttered, his face flaming.

"Why come to me?"

"Because no one else knows either!"

Sesshoumaru shook his head in amazement. He never thought he'd see the day. "Well, little brother, allow me to fill you in on all the gruesome details…"


	10. Chapter 10

**Chapter 10**

Inuyasha blinked at his older brother. "'Gruesome'? Is it really that bad?"

Sesshoumaru exerted extreme control to keep from grinning uncharacteristically. "No, baka. At least, not that I've heard. I've not had personal experience of taking a mate, but I know the basics."

"Basics?"

The tai-youkai sighed, walked over to a nearby stone and sat down gracefully. He kept his always-solemn gaze on some trees as he spoke.

"From what I've heard, when a youkai takes a mate, there is obviously a strong commitment between the two."

"Duh."

Sesshoumaru flicked an irritated glance at his brother, who hid partially in the moonlight and shadows of the trees. "Quiet, baka, else I won't divulge the information you seek."

Inuyasha grunted and leaned back further into the tree shadows. "Gomen."

Somewhat surprised at his apology, Sesshoumaru deliberately continued. "It is difficult to say what will be applicable to you, given the fact that you are only _half_ youkai. Nonetheless, I will endeavor to relate all that I was told."

"Told? By who?"

"Our father, baka. He told me what I needed to know, should the occasion arise where I would take a mate."

"Keh! Like _that'll_ ever happen."

"Silence or else leave. I will not tolerate your insolence."

Inuyasha growled but shut his mouth.

"As I was saying, I only know youkai traditions- you may or may not experience these occasions."

"Get on with it. I'm getting old here."

Sesshoumaru sighed. "Very well. Basically, your soul will know when it chooses your mate. Once the soul has chosen, a youkai's crests will darken in color, showing his mated status."

"That's it? I'll turn colors and then we'll be mated?"

"You really are a baka. The _crests_ will turn to a darker shade. You have no crests- you are only a half-breed, after all. True youkai have crests, or markings, that show their demon status. These marks can be anywhere and can be any number. You will notice, of course, that this Sesshoumaru's crests are on the face and wrists."

Inuyasha cocked his head to the side, his white ears twitching. "You mean these?" He pointed to his cheek in confusion.

"What are you blathering about? I told you- _you_ have… no…" he trailed off as Inuyasha jumped closer, landing close to the tai-youkai and glaring at him. The jagged lavender stripes on the hanyou's cheeks were quite visible in the pale moonlight.

"Kami… when in all the hells did _you _get _crests_?"

Inuyasha grinned, suddenly cocky because he had finally managed to get Sesshoumaru's iron-clad composure to slip. The look of complete and utter shock on the tai-youkai's face was completely priceless. "I dunno. Sango and Miroku seem to think they showed up after I battled that stupid Wolf youkai, Kouga."

"Tell me."

He shrugged. "There really isn't that much to tell. Kouga threatened to kill my pup and I kicked his ass."

"Your _pup_?"

Inuyasha sighed. Apparently the great Inu no Taishou was a little behind in the news. "A human man washed up on the shore of the river near old Kaede's village. He had been attacked by youkai and was fatally wounded." Inuyasha glanced away, his golden gaze suddenly going sad. "He entrusted his pup- a little girl- to Kagome before he died. The pup… she's a hanyou."

"Never say so. There are _more_ abominations in the world?"

Inuyasha glared at his brother. "Contrary to your belief, oh pureblood Inu no Taishou, she is _not_ an 'abomination.' She is loved and wanted- something _I_ never was!"

"Gomen, little brother. I did not mean to offend you, this time."

Somewhat mollified, Inuyasha continued his tale. "The pup is Kouga's niece- his sister's and that human man's. That bastard Wolf wanted us to give the pup up to him so he could raise her to be less than what she is, just because she's a half-breed."

Sesshoumaru would've normally made a condescending remark at this point, but he was now beginning to get an insight to another side to his usually annoying brother. He merely nodded so Inuyasha would continue.

"When Kouga made the comment that all half-breeds should be killed, my pup included, I snapped. Kagome tells me I transformed again, but the Tetsusaiga was still by my side. I had total control over my body and I remember fighting Kouga, but more than that is kinda… hazy. I didn't kill the Wolf."

"Thank Kami for that… that would've been devastating for Kagome."

Inuyasha rolled his eyes. "Tell me about it. Wench is way too sensitive." He glanced down at his hands. "After the fight, we decided to head home. Ever since then, everyone's been looking at me differently. Kagome finally told me about these marks. They appear when I'm transformed, but after the fight with Kouga they haven't gone away."

Sesshoumaru regarded his little brother for a long time in silence. Finally, his cultivated voice broke the quiet. "You look like Father."

"I _what_?"

"It would appear that your hanyou ears are hard of hearing. I said that you look just like Father did. His crests match yours."

"So… these things are my crests?"

"It would appear so. Apparently the fight to defend your family was brought on by your soul declaring who your mate was- and your pup, regardless of whether or not she's your blood."

"So now what? Are Kagome and I mated now?"

Sesshoumaru allowed himself a small smile. "Not quite. There's still the matter of the act itself."

"_What_ act?"

"The physical mating, of course. Surely you realize that you didn't just spawn from the ground?"

Inuyasha blushed deep red. "Never really thought about it. I don't know where babies come from."

This time Sesshoumaru rolled his eyes. The hanyou was really bringing out all the unfavorable emotions in him tonight. "I really _do_ have to tell you _everything_, don't I?"

Inuyasha hung his head, trying to hide his embarrassment. "Keh… no one else would…"

"Oh, Kami…" Sesshoumaru looked up at the sky as though searching for help from the stars. "Is this a test, Father? I assure you, this Sesshoumaru is _not_ amused!"

Inuyasha jumped to his feet and grabbed his brother by his white haori. "This isn't a joke, you bastard! What else do I fucking have to do to take Kagome as my mate, damn it?"

Sesshoumaru glared at the hanyou. "Cease your caterwauling, baka. You are not a cat youkai."

He released the tai-youkai and sank down onto his haunches, staring up at his brother. "Then tell me what the hell I'm supposed to do with her!"

Sesshoumaru actually coughed. He looked away from Inuyasha, his gaze steadily resting on the nearby trees. "You are supposed to… have sex… with the miko."

"Sex? What in Kami's name is _that_?"

The Inu no Taishou swiftly got to his feet, his long silver hair blowing with the movement. He stared down at his brother with that familiar unemotional look. "You cannot be serious."

Inuyasha cocked his head to the side, looking like a little lost puppy. "Is it like a dance or something? 'Cause I never learned how to dance."

Sesshoumaru looked hard at him, ready to commit murder once more. However, the sight of Inuyasha's crests- their _father's_ crests- made him pause. The Inu no Taishou was charged with maintaining the pureblood line of tai-youkai, yet only Inuyasha obviously had the chance to continue the inu youkai blood, tainted though it already was. What if he, Sesshoumaru, never found his mate? Or bore the heir to the Western Lands? Then that responsibility might fall to Inuyasha or his pups.

He mentally smiled. It might prove to be entertaining to be an uncle and regale those pups with their baka father's infantile tendencies. But to reach that point, his clueless brother had to figure out how to _make_ said-pups.

He reached up with his only hand and uncharacteristically rubbed his chin, as though pondering. "When you are around this miko- how does your body react?"

"React?" Inuyasha blinked at the odd question. "She irritates the hell out of me. Why?"

"Not like that, baka. How does your body _physically_ react? Does anything… _change_?"

Inuyasha blushed and looked at the ground, scowling. "Keh!"

"I'll take that as a yes."

"So what does that have to do with anything?"

"Do something original for once and think. Why would that particular part of your body reacts like that around her if there was no purpose for it?"

"Purpose? You mean… use it…?"

"Indeed."

"I have to put _that…_?"

"You're starting to understand."

Inuyasha stared hard at his brother. Sesshoumaru could almost see the wheels clicking into place as understanding dawned. "Like… animals do?"

"Somewhat. I'm not sure your miko would appreciate being taken in such a bestial manner. I've heard that with humans it is usually done face-to-face and occasionally rather slowly, compared to most animals."

"Occasionally?"

Sesshoumaru shrugged. "I've heard different views on the length of the process. It seems to relate to the bond between the pair. The stronger the bond, the longer it lasts."

"Then I'm in for a long night, huh…"

The brothers shared something that had never happened before- a smile. Inuyasha coughed and looked away, his face red. "W-when… am I supposed to… you know- do this?"

"Let your senses lead you on this one, puppy. You'll be able to tell when she's ready. Her scent will change."

"Is this… something that'll just happen or do I need to… do stuff?"

The older brother smiled slightly. "Have you even _kissed_ her, baka-for-brains?"

"Keh! Of course!"

"Then I suggest you try that again and proceed from there."

Inuyasha flushed again. "Eh… arigatou, Sesshoumaru. Don't know what I would've done otherwise."

"You would've bungled it like usual, little brother. Just remember that she's not youkai and she's not an animal- you could really hurt her in the process."

"Keh! I would never hurt Kagome!"

"Certainly. I would not have helped you if I thought you might."

Inuyasha cocked his head to the side as he regarded his brother. "As to that- why _are_ you so concerned with Kagome's welfare in this? She's ningen. You hate them."

Sesshoumaru's golden gaze took on a faraway look. "Let's just say that I've come to see a different view on ningen females, Inuyasha."

Still not quite understanding, Inuyasha shrugged and ran off, heading back to Kaede's village. Now that he knew what to do, he just needed to get Kagome alone to complete the act. _Let's just hope I don't end up hurting her._


	11. Chapter 11

**Chapter 11**- **_This is a very graphic chapter, with lemon and some implied violence. You have been warned!_**

Kagome awoke sometime in the early morning hours, long before the sun would make its daily appearance. Unsure of what awakened her, she looked over at Minako, who was happily snuggled up with Shippou, who had his thick, furry tail wrapped protectively around the little girl like a blanket. Ever since Kagome had announced that the girl was staying, he had immediately claimed her as a little sister.

She smiled at the thought. Shippou was so upbeat, considering the terrible hand fate had dealt him. He had lost both his parents and now pretty much looked at Kagome as a foster mother. He really was something special. She couldn't help but love the little kit- he really had no one else.

Stretching, she got up and silently walked out of the hut. The moon was still fairly high in the sky, making her believe the time to be about two or three in the morning.

Where was Inuyasha? She had thought he'd be back by now. Ever since he left in such a hurry earlier that evening, she had been awaiting his return with some trepidation. Had he changed his mind? Maybe he didn't want to be with her anymore.

She thought she understood what he meant when he told her they needed to be "mated." It was just a youkai term for married, wasn't it? After all, Minako's father had talked about his _wife_, not his _mate_.

Kagome walked to the river and sat on the slope leading down to the water. The moonlight reflected off the current, making it seem as though there were diamonds beneath the surface.

_I don't know what happens with a Sengoku Jidai wedding,_ she thought dejectedly. _I know how things work in _my_ era, but weddings here probably aren't anything like that._

She sighed. Inuyasha didn't really seem like the marrying type. Was he serious, or was he just messing around with her head again, like usual?

_He better get back soon- he's got some explaining to do._

-------------------

Inuyasha jumped down from the trees, catching Kagome's scent as he hit the outskirts of the village. She was awake? And outside, apparently. He walked slowly toward Kaede's hut and saw that the young miko was sitting quietly on the slope overlooking the river.

_Perfect,_ he thought. _We can do this and then we'll be mated. She'll be mine- forever._

He stuffed his hands into the sleeves of his haori and sauntered towards her. She didn't look up until he was practically next to her.

"Inuyasha! You're back!"

"Keh! You're observant tonight."

She cocked her head and regarded him as he loomed over her, the lavender stripes on his cheeks more pronounced in the moonlight than she thought they were before. "What's wrong? Why did you run off like that?"

He sank to his haunches next to her and stared at her, his golden eyes glowing in the moonlight and his silver hair blowing gently in the wind. He looked altogether feral, yet so handsome she almost forgot to breathe.

"It's time, Kagome."

She looked at him, genuinely confused. "Time? Time for what?"

He didn't answer. Instead, he suddenly reached out and snatched her up. She smothered a surprised cry as he turned and immediately raced for the nearby forest.

Kagome looked up at him, concern and a little fear starting to show on her face. "Um… Inuyasha? Where are we going?"

He still didn't answer. He kept running until he reached the Goshinboku- where Kikyou had sealed him for fifty years, until Kagome had released him. Some part of him told him that it needed to happen here.

Where it had all ended and began.

He was going to make it begin again. But this time, it was going to be the beginning of his life with Kagome. Still as her protector, but this time she'd be tied to him permanently.

He set her down on the grass between the exposed roots of Goshinboku. He unstrapped Tetsusaiga and leaned it against the side of the great tree. Kagome sat there and looked up at him, still quite perplexed. "Inuyasha? Answer me. Why are we here?"

"I told you, Kagome. It's time."

She sighed in irritation. "Yes, you said that already. Time for _what_?"

He squatted down in front of her and looked her right in the eye, his nose almost touching hers as he stared at her intently. She leaned back slightly in uncertainty.

"Time to make you mine."

Before she could reply to that bold statement, he leaned in closer and kissed her roughly. This kiss was nothing like what they had shared the other day when she had agreed to raise Minako with him. No. This was harsher, more brutal. Almost… desperate. His fangs grazed her lip, making it bleed slightly.

He tasted her blood as he kissed her. It fired something within him that he couldn't identify even if he had the ability to think at that point. He wrapped his arms around her and pulled her closer to him. She gasped as his strength squeezed the breath out of her.

She tried to pull away, confused and alarmed by his behavior. This wasn't the Inuyasha she knew- this one was rougher. Yet… Inuyasha didn't really know how to be gentle. He had spent every day of his life fighting for survival. Was it any real surprise then, than he didn't know how to be gentle?

Not knowing what he was attempting to do, Kagome pushed at his shoulders. She managed to get him to back up slightly and she got a good look at his face.

The lavender stripes on his cheeks now stood out quite boldly, almost to the point of glowing. It distressed her even more as he looked down at her with that look of complete possessiveness in his eyes. What had come over him?

He growled, deep in his throat as he maneuvered Kagome to lie back on the grass between Goshinboku's roots. She looked up at him, her face flushed in absolute embarrassment.

"Inuyasha! What do you think you're doing?"

He growled again, this time lifting a hand to her lips and pressing a finger to silence her. She glared at him and took a deep breath, getting ready to "sit" him into oblivion.

Inuyasha quickly covered her mouth with his, kissing her deeply, running his tongue along her lips. She was unable to make a sound, let alone utter the word that would subdue him. She relaxed against him, going pliant in his arms.

_Should've thought of this ages ago_, some barely rational part of him mind chuckled. _She can't sit me if her mouth is occupied._

The taste of her blood drove him crazy. Something inside him made him want her body against his, skin to skin. His pulse raced at the thought of her flesh pressed to his.

He took his claws and ripped the front of her uniform open, from neckline to waist. He pushed the offending material aside, exposing her lacy bra and smooth skin. He pulled away from her briefly to look at her

_What in all the hells is _this_ thing?_ He hooked a claw under the front of it and sliced it effortlessly.

"Inuyasha! What are you doing?" Kagome cried out again, her face getting redder as she tried to cover herself up. He chuckled and pushed her hands away, looking down at her bared breasts and smooth stomach.

His loins clenched, filling and stretching as a familiar, feeling came over him- yet stronger than he had experienced previously. This sensation had happened before, but he never knew why. Now he did. Some inner voice told him why it was happening and what he was to do now.

He lowered his head and licked her skin, savoring the taste of her. She shuddered, her fear retreating slightly as the delicious feeling warmed her. Maybe he wasn't going to hurt her after all.

He ran his tongue up from her navel and over her breast, marveling at how the peak hardened as he licked it. Kagome cried out, surprised at the delightful sensation. He licked it again and it budded more. Curious, he wrapped his mouth around it and sucked on it, elated when she arched against him.

Kagome reached up and slid her hands into his silver hair, making him whine. Nuzzling her chest, he raked his claws down her hips, slicing her skirt and making the material fall away from her body. The material blocked most of his razor-sharp claws, but thin trickles of blood swelled to the surface after his claws had passed.

She gasped at the sting, but in the haze of desire he had risen in her, the pain was almost a welcome pain, as it served to arouse her more.

The scent of her blood was intoxicating. He let his instincts take over. Inuyasha pushed away from her and sat back, straddling her. Her shirt was torn and half off her shoulders, revealing her firm, round breasts, and her skirt was in tatters. She was panting and her cheeks were flushed.

He swiped the remnants of her skirt off her hips and tossed the similarly ruined white cotton panties off to the side. Now she lay completely exposed to him and her scent- arousal, wildflowers, and blood mixed together in a dizzying aphrodisiac- nearly drove him mad.

Inuyasha pulled at his fire-rat haori, almost tearing it in the attempt to remove it. His cream under-shirt quickly followed.

She had seen his bare chest before, but never under circumstances like this. Her pulse quickened at the sight of him, looming over her, with his eyes glowing brightly in the moonlight and his long silver hair waving in the breeze. She looked away, embarrassed, as he untied his hakama and tossed them to the side.

His actions were being taken over by something else now. Inuyasha felt like he had no control over his body. Every part of him was screaming now, begging for some sort of release. He was hard now, harder than he had ever been before, but now- now he knew what to do about it.

Wedging a knee between her legs, he pried her long creamy legs apart. She whimpered, trying to keep her legs tightly together. He whuffed back at her, a sound meant to relax her, and ended up forcing her legs away from each other.

Kagome looked up at him as he leaned over her, his silver hair brushing against her sensitive breasts and stomach. She quivered, in both fear and anticipation. Was this going to be as wonderful as she hoped?

For a brief moment, Inuyasha gazed down at her. His golden eyes were shining and the marks on his cheeks were positively glowing. She didn't understand what was happening to him. Or for that matter- what was he doing to her? Her body felt tingly- as though something was warming it from the inside.

She pulled at his shoulders, trying to get him closer to her. Inuyasha blinked, confused for an instant, and then that possessive grin was back. This time, he growled deep, making her body shiver. He pushed her back down onto the grass, then lowered his head and nipped her throat in a primal attempt to show his dominance, drawing tiny droplets of blood.

Kagome whimpered in anticipation. She wanted him, but she wasn't sure _what_ she wanted him to do.

The scent of her arousal, now almost overpowering the smell of blood, led him to the nest of black hair at the juncture of her thighs. With her legs separated like that, he was able to locate the source of the exciting aroma that made him so hard. He moved down her body swiftly, his keen senses leading him to her core.

He had never seen such a strange sight before, yet it compelled him, drew him in. He pushed her legs apart further, opening her completely to him. Her scent filled his nostrils and he impulsively moved forward and licked her.

Kagome cried out in sheer surprise. It was so wondrous, so thrilling, so… _wicked_. Her thoughts fled completely, her body taking complete control and making her forget about any protestations. Now her body commanded that she give herself to him, just so that the delightful feeling would continue.

He continued to lap at her, drinking her in as though she were sweet wine. She quivered and shook, tossing her head side to side as her fingers latched onto the only thing on him she could reach- his ears. She cried out softly, a sound of complete abandon. He was leading her on a roller-coaster of emotions, yet she was afraid to get off.

As soon as her fingers gripped his sensitive ears, Inuyasha lifted his head, ready to growl at her again. But when her hands began to gently caress the fuzzy white appendages, he sighed in delight and whimpered, wanting more. She released his ears and stroked his hair as she tried to regain control of her breathing. Her arousal seemed stronger than ever. Now was the time!

He snorted. His body demanded release and it demanded it _now._ He gripped her hips roughly, positioned himself where his mouth had just been and, in one hard thrust, pierced her body and shattered her world.

She half sat up at the shock, crying out. _Kami, that hurt!_ _Was it supposed to hurt that bad? _She looked at him in shock, wondering what had happened to the wonderful feelings he had made her experience. Was that it? The good stuff was over?

Inuyasha pushed her back down firmly and dug his claws into her hips to brace himself. Kagome whimpered again as he withdrew only to push his way inside her again, unknowingly bringing more pain. She couldn't breathe. Tears streamed down her face- the pain was unbearable.

Kagome's blood coated his claws as he held onto her for dear life. He had never experienced anything as utterly breathtaking as the feeling of being inside her. He was so caught up in his own ecstasy that he didn't even realize he was hurting the very woman he had sworn to protect.

She wriggled a little bit, trying to get the pain to stop. Her movements only made the sting intensify. He didn't even seem to notice as he thrust a third and final time, his eyes closed, and cried out, his body shuddering. He collapsed on top of her, knocking the breath out of her once more, making it impossible for her to speak.

He lay on her for several moments, panting heavily. It was done! And how incredible was _that_? He grinned foolishly, his mind once again returning to normal as he relaxed. The primal instinct that had taken over retreated, hidden but not forgotten in the back of his mind. He chuckled and rolled off Kagome to look up at the sky through the branches and leaves of the Goshinboku.

Kagome lay there, unable to move or to really think at that point. _That was… fast…_ was just about the only thought that wandered through her mind at that point. Tears had dried on her cheeks as her whole body began to relax from being so stiff.

_What had just happened here?_ Her body hurt so badly, she never wanted to move again. She felt sticky and dirty- _was this really what sex was like for women? Quick and painful?_

Her whole world felt like it hade been torn apart. It felt as though her best friend, the man she loved more than anything else, had completely violated her, without a care in the world for her well-being.

"Now I know why Miroku's always asking women to bear him children. That was _incredible!_"

Kagome struggled to sit up. She managed to get halfway up when she looked at him through disbeliving eyes.

_He did _not_ just crack a joke after all that… _she thought sardonically. Inuyasha glanced up at her, expecting her to be elated that they were mated at last.

Blood oozed from her lip where his fangs had cut her. There was another cut on her neck from his bite that trickled blood down her chest and across one bare breast. Her hips were gouged and bleeding from his claws. A tiny pool of blood was gathering under her hips, and it was slowly but steadily growing.

Inuyasha sat up abruptly and stared at her in horror. "Oh, Kami… Kagome… I-I…"

She turned away, both embarrassed and disappointed. She shakily pulled her ripped shirt around her chest to cover her breasts, but the material simply didn't cover her enough. Thinking quickly, she reached over, grabbed his fire-rat haori and managed to get it on swiftly.

She stood up unsteadily and began walking back towards Kaede's village without saying a word to Inuyasha. The thought to "osuwari" him never crossed her mind as she walked away. As she moved she picked up the pace, until she was running, stumbling, away from the man she had loved.

Inuyasha sat there in dismay, kneeling in the grass, and watched her go, unable to do more than stare after her. After she had left his sight, he turned back to where she had lain on the ground.

The grass was covered in various blood-spots, with one large pool from between her thighs. Her clothes were ripped to shreds and the scent of sex, blood, and most importantly, her tears, filled his nose until it nearly overpowered him. He nearly died as realization set in.

He had hurt her. _Really_ hurt her. Was it more than just physically? Kami- it looked as though he had _forced_ her! And it was enough to make him howl out in grief and agony as he dug his claws into the blood-soaked earth.

_What have I done?_

_**------------------------------------------------------**_

**_A/N: Apparently one reader seems to think that there is rape involved- IT IS NOT RAPE!_ _If you read correctly, she was very much involved until the pain of penetration occurred. She never told him no, she never told him to stop. If you cannot understand this sort of situation, please don't bother to review. After all, the initial pain of intimacy differs for each woman, and most men don't understand that. Thank you for your support and please continue to read- I plan on many more chapters! Kohaku Kagerou- the amber dragonfly_**


	12. Chapter 12

**Chapter 12**

Dawn was still a few hours away as Sango stepped outside the hut, looking for Kagome. The girl had left sometime during the night, but no one had seen her go.

Minako had awakened for her meal a few minutes ago, but Kagome still was nowhere to be found. Sango was worried- Kagome never left in the middle of the night like this without letting someone know where she was going.

A movement caught her keen eye from the edge of Inuyasha's Forest. Sango took a step forward, unable to really believe what she was seeing.

It was Kagome. Clad in only Inuyasha's fire-rat haori, the young girl was half-running, half-stumbling away from something. Sango rushed toward her, her heart in her throat.

"Kagome! What's wrong? Is it a youkai? Were you attacked?"

As she came nearer, Sango gasped in horror as she saw the damage the younger girl had sustained. Blood clotted her lip and neck and blood-stains were seeping through the haori on either side of her hips. The most distressing sight, though, was the streams of blood running down the inside of Kagome's legs.

"Sango," she breathed in relief, gasping for air. As Sango's arms wrapped around the miko she collapsed to her knees, shaking and sobbing uncontrollably.

"Kagome…?" Sango asked, afraid of the answer. "Did… you… and Inuyasha…?"

Kagome nodded into her friend's arms. The taijiya tightened her hug around Kagome as fury built inside her.

"We'll make him pay, Kagome. Don't worry. He'll never touch you again."

Kagome pulled away and looked at Sango through tear-filled eyes. "No! It's not like that!"

"But after what he's done to you? _Look_ at you! He nearly ripped you apart! He could've killed you!"

"I… I've decided. I'm leaving, Sango. I'm taking Minako and I'm going home."

Sango sighed. "I agree that that's a good idea for a while, but…"

"Not for a while. For good. I'm going home and I'm not coming back."

Sango looked at her friend in surprise. "Not coming back? But Kagome! We need you here! You're our friend!" She looked deeply saddened. "What about Shippou?"

Kagome shook her head slowly. "You and Miroku must take him in. Please. For me. Don't let Inuyasha kick him out. Shippou needs you."

"Of course. Shippou doesn't love us like he loves you, but…"

"Will you promise to keep him, then?"

"I promise. I'm sure Miroku will too."

"Arigatou." Kagome shakily stood up and walked into the hut with Sango trailing after.

She pulled out her spare clothes and swiftly pulled them on, mindless of the drying blood on her body. She used one of her monthly necessities to protect her panties so they wouldn't get stained. The rest would just have to wait for a bath once she got home.

Then she quickly packed up what clothes she had for Minako here and stuffed them into her bag. Miroku remained sleeping on his pallet, while Shippou had rolled over in his sleep, leaving Minako snoozing peacefully under her blanket.

Leaning down carefully, Kagome kissed the kitsune one last time. He smiled in his sleep but didn't awaken. Then she picked up Minako, wrapped the baby up snuggly, and stood up, facing the door. Sango stood there, watching her sadly.

"Do you really have to go?" she whispered.

Kagome nodded. She stepped outside and Sango followed. "I can't face Inuyasha again. Not after that." She looked sad and forlorn for a moment. "I… disappointed him."

Sango looked genuinely confused, but turned slightly and called for Kirara. The tiny cat ran up to Sango and rubbed up against her leg. She knelt down and looked at the cat youkai seriously.

"I need you to take Kagome to the well, Kirara. Make sure Inuyasha doesn't see you. And hurry!"

Kirara mewed, stepped back, and transformed into her full-size youkai form. Kagome gingerly got on her back, wincing in pain as she was forced to sit on extremely sensitive regions. She looked at her friend and gave her one last hug goodbye.

"Take care, Sango. Don't let Miroku two-time on you!"

"You be careful, Kagome. We will miss you terribly."

With a soft "rawr," Kirara took off and flew swiftly through the sky towards the Bone Eater's Well. Sango watched her friend leave with a heavy heart, yet she knew it was necessary.

Miroku stepped out of the hut, surprising Sango. "Something very serious has happened, hasn't it?" he asked her quietly. "Are you willing to tell me what?"

Sango turned to him and wrapped her arms around him, crying softly. The monk gently embraced her, resting his head on top of her head. Something must have upset her greatly.

"Inuyasha… he… Kagome… _Kami_, there was so much blood…!"

"Blood? Did he attack her? Or was it a youkai?"

"No… he… I think he forced… himself… on her."

"Forced? I don't…" He gasped in shock. "Oh, _Kami_. You can't be serious!"

"I am. And now she's taking Minako and going back to her own time. For good."

"Permanently? But… Inuyasha will just follow her, won't he?"

Sango pulled back and glared up at him. "Not if I kill him first."

Miroku shook his head. "Now, Sango. We can't just kill him. Not yet anyway. We need to find out exactly what happened. You may have just misunderstood the situation."

"I can't believe she's not going to come back."

Miroku sighed. "I know. But if that's what she wants, then we have to abide by it."

Sango looked up at him again. "There's one thing she asked us to do."

"What would that be?"

"She asked us to take in Shippou. To raise him as our own, as she's doing to Minako."

"I see. Well, there's only one problem with that."

She blinked in surprise. "There is?"

"We have to get married first."

Sango blushed. "I don't know. After seeing what happened to Kagome…"

Miroku embraced her tightly, letting his love for her radiate out from him like the sun. "Sango, koi, I would never hurt you the way that Kagome was hurt. If I was causing you pain in any way, I would stop. No questions asked."

"Promise?"

"I promise."

She squeezed him back. "Aishiteru, Houshi-sama."

He smiled. "Aishiteru, my taijiya."

A soft mew interrupted their embrace. They both looked down to see a tiny Kirara walking toward them. She jumped up and landed on Sango's shoulder.

"Did Inuyasha see you?"

The little cat youkai mewed. Miroku nodded, understanding at once. "Excellent work, Kirara. Now it is up to us to wait. And pray."

-------------------------

Inuyasha stumbled out of the woods, the same look of shock frozen on his face. His eyes were blank and his ears were drooped. He wore his hakama and under-shirt, but the shirt was loose and not tucked in. The lavender crests on his cheeks were dormant now, still visible yet no longer glowing.

All in all, the hanyou was a rumpled mess. He stumbled over a rock, stopped, turned, and blinked at the rock, trying to figure out what just happened. He looked down at his hands, staring in horror once more at the blood that stained his claws.

He turned and shuffled to the river, kneeling by the water and scrubbing his hands. He scrubbed and scraped, washing the dried remnants of Kagome's blood away.

Yet still he washed. He continued to rub his hands as though they were still covered in her blood. One thought continued to run through his mind, over and over.

_How could I have done this to her?_

"How could you have done that to her?"

Inuyasha whirled around to see Miroku looking at him curiously, Sango glaring accusingly. Sango looked like she was about ready to kick his ass, which he felt he truly deserved.

"I… I-I didn't… I never…"

"It should be _you_ bleeding right now, not her!" Sango yelled, trying hard not to run down there and slice something off with her wakizashi.

His ears drooped even more as he lowered his head. "I know. Kami, I wish it was."

Miroku looked at the hanyou, confused. "Then… you didn't mean for this to happen?"

His golden gaze shot up in irritation. "Hell no! I mean…" He dropped his head again. "I wanted to make her my mate… not hurt her like that."

"Didn't anyone tell you that she's a _human_?" Sango still looked ready to do some damage. "She's more delicate than a youkai or a hanyou! You could have _killed_ her!"

"I know, dammit! I didn't know what I was doing! I was just trying to do what Sesshoumaru told me!"

Miroku eyed Inuyasha critically. "Sesshoumaru, you say? What did he tell you to do with her?"

"He said I had to have sex with her."

"And that was it? Nothing more?"

Inuyasha flushed. "Well, I didn't know what he meant. So he kinda had to tell me how to do it."

"Dear Kami." Miroku looked to the sky. "That explains quite a lot."

Inuyasha looked at the ground. "Where is she? Is she okay?"

Sango growled, a sound worthy of any youkai. "Don't worry about where she's at. She needs to be away from _you_. So let her be!"

The hanyou sighed. She had gone home to her era. "I figured as much." He looked up at the taijiya, a serious look on his face. "But I'm telling _you_- I will not be kept from my mate for too long. She's mine now and I _will not let her go_!"

------------------------

Kagome sighed as she sank in the wonderfully hot water. _I really needed this. _She closed her eyes as the heat of the bath relaxed her sore body and washed the blood away. The bleeding had stopped, luckily, so there was no reason to tell her mother what had really happened to her. As much as she hated deceiving her mother, she just wasn't ready to tell her that she was no longer innocent.

Her mother had been delighted to see Minako again and gladly took the little girl from Kagome for some good old-fashioned spoiling so Kagome could get cleaned up. She had blamed her wounds on carelessness during a battle with a youkai and her mother seemed to accept that. Now, if only that baka Inuyasha wouldn't show up to give light to the lie…

Kagome's expression saddened. Inuyasha. For so long, he had been a part of her life, and now she didn't know how to feel about him. Love…. Pain…. Disappointment… it all mingled into a turmoil of numbness.

She could still see him- his face remained in her mind, feral and seductive as he lay on her, his long silver hair flying. His golden eyes shining in the dim moonlight filtering through the trees as he looked down on her, making her pulse race. The feel of his mouth and his tongue on her, setting her skin on fire. The marks on his cheeks glowing as he tore her when he first entered her. The pain…

She shook her head, trying to dislodge the sad memories. He had what he wanted- physical release without the unbreakable ties of commitment. She was a fool. She had thought he loved her, as she loved him. Now, she only felt used. Yet her heart still ached to be with him.

She sighed. She was home now, back in her own era. She had no reason to go back. Except the jewel shards, but she could go with Miroku and Sango to look for them later. For now, she just wanted to rest and take care of Minako.

Reaching for the loofah and body wash, Kagome nodded firmly. She would only go forward from this point. Whether or not Inuyasha came after her meant nothing. All that mattered was Minako. Yes. She would live for Minako and take care of her, letting nothing hurt either one of them again.


	13. Chapter 13

**Chapter 13**

"Dammit! It's been four months now! How much fucking longer is she going to mope around in her own time, while here there are still jewel shards to find?"

Miroku glanced at his friend. The hanyou's irritation had grown with each passing week, as he continued to visit Kagome's era to try and see her. Her mother had claimed that Kagome still couldn't see him- catching up on her studies, she said. Inuyasha didn't really believe that, but he didn't argue. Her bedroom window was now locked and the shades always drawn. Inuyasha hadn't seen her is well over four months now and the separation from his mate was really starting to make him edgy.

Minako, however, he got to see during his weekly visits through the well when he would try to see Kagome. The little hanyou was now about 9 months old, by his reckoning, and toddling like a pro. Her speech was coming along as well, with her first word, for some reason, being "baka."

Miroku and Sango knew perfectly well how Minako could've learned that word so easily. Inuyasha tried not to think about it.

"She's obviously got more important things on her mind than coming back here and dealing with your baka behavior, Inuyasha," Miroku said as he took a cup of tea from his new wife. True to his promise, he had married Sango almost immediately so that they could formally claim Shippou as their son. Sango had wanted to wait for Kagome so that the miko could be at the wedding, but Miroku had pointed out logically that she might not return at all.

"Keh! She needs to get her scrawny ass back here where it belongs!"

"Who's got a _what_?" Shippou ran into the room, looking at him in confusion. The little kitsune had grown quite a bit in the last few months, the top of his ponytail now reaching Miroku's hip. His short little legs had lengthened out a great deal, adding to his height and making him not appear quite so childish. It was all Sango could do to keep the kit full- he was like a bottomless pit.

"Never mind, Shippou," Sango replied as she handed him a cup of tea. He took it and bowed respectfully in thanks, sitting next to his adoptive father and mimicking his pose. "Inuyasha's just worried about Kagome."

"I am not! She's made it perfectly clear that she doesn't care that we're mated!"

"I'm sure that is not the case, Inuyasha," Miroku responded politely. "She always did have a lot of homework to do, and she gave a lot of it up to be here with us. Now she is probably just catching up."

Inuyasha was about to snap back a retort when his whole body did a noticeable shiver. His ears perked up and his golden eyes went wide. He jumped to his feet and was out the door in a blink.

"What got into him?" Shippou asked, staring at the door where the hanyou had disappeared.

"Miroku," Sango asked, raising an eyebrow at her husband, "you don't suppose…?"

"Kagome." The monk nodded. "I would guess that she has returned, finally."

Shippou set down his teacup and jumped up in excitement. "Then let's go see her! I've really missed her!"

Sango smiled. "I've missed her too, Shippou. Go get Kirara and we'll hurry."

"Okay, Youbo Sango!" The little kitsune raced out the door to find the twin-tailed cat youkai.

Sango sighed. "I'd be happy if he wouldn't place so much emphasis on the fact that we adopted him."

"He'll come around someday, Sango," Miroku replied, standing up and taking her arm to lead her outside. "Perhaps if we gave him a baby brother or sister…"

"Stop that! I told you- there's nothing I can do about it. It's all up to Fate and nature. If we're supposed to have a child, we will!"

Miroku sighed in mock dejection. "Then I guess we'll just have to keep trying."

Sango raised an eyebrow at him as Shippou and Kirara ran into view. "Like that's such a horrible task."

The ex-monk grinned lecherously. "Keeping my hands off of you is a horrible task. Trying for a baby is heaven." He happily stroked her backside.

"Shhhh!" She blushed as Shippou and Kirara slid to a stop in front of them, Kirara changing to her full-size form.

They all mounted the cat youkai and flew off, with Kirara following Inuyasha's scent as best she could. Sure enough, he was headed straight for the Bone Eater's Well. Sango and Miroku exchanged a glance, and then Sango guided the fire-cat to land in the grasses nearby. They wanted to be close in case anything bad happened between Kagome and Inuyasha after all this time.

---------------

"Oooof! Minako, you're getting heavy!"

"Mina heavy! Mina heavy!"

Kagome lifted the little hanyou up over her head so that she could reach the edge of the well. Minako grasped the wooden plank at the top and dug her little claws in. Suddenly she squealed as two clawed hands reached over the edge and pulled her out.

"Minako!" Kagome cried out in terror.

"Relax, wench. It's just me." Inuyasha's voice floated down into the well, making her anything but relaxed.

"Baka papa!"

Inuyasha groaned. _Wonder who taught her that one?_ He smiled at the little hanyou, taking note of how much she had grown in a week. "Hi, pup. How's my girl?" She giggled.

Her black hair was shoulder-length and she probably came up past his knee now. She wore a cute red pleated skirt- much like Kagome's school one- and a white short-sleeve sailor shirt with a red collar, trimmed with navy blue stripes and a navy blue bow on the front. White knee-socks and little navy blue loafers were on her feet. She had little red bows in her hair settled right behind her cute little black ears to complete the ensemble.

Deliberately ignoring the ex-monk and taijiya landing nearby on Kirara, Inuyasha looked at the well, wondering why Kagome wasn't getting out yet.

"Oi, wench! You coming out of there or you gonna stay in there all night?"

An irritated growl emerged from the well, making Inuyasha grin despite himself. "If you keep that up, I'd swear _you_ were the inu-hanyou, not me!"

A familiar yellow backpack got tossed over the edge of the well, landing with a thump on the grass. Inuyasha assumed a relaxed stance, holding Minako on one hip, as he waited for his first glimpse of his mate in four long months. Inside he was impatient as ever, but he didn't want to scare her away. Not again. Not ever again.

A hand grasped the edge of the well, followed by the other. Soon Kagome's beautiful face emerged. She pushed herself up shakily as Shippou shrieked in delight.

Inuyasha's gaze turned to the kitsune, who jumped off his adoptive father's lap and ran to Kagome, who managed to swing her legs over the side of the well. Shippou stopped suddenly, refraining from pouncing on her like he usually did.

Inuyasha was confused. Why didn't he jump on her? The annoying kit always flung himself at Kagome- why was he hesitating?

He looked at Kagome, wondering what was different about her. She sat on the edge of the well, somewhat out of breath. She wore a pair of khaki shorts and a spring green shirt that was stretched over a slightly swollen stomach.

Inuyasha blinked several times. Miroku and Sango gasped and exchanged understanding glances. Shippou cocked his head and gazed at Kagome. Minako wriggled to get down, managing to release herself from Inuyasha's grasp. She giggled as she ran to her mother, who reached down to pick up the child. Inuyasha's eye twitched.

"Kami, woman! How in all the hells did you get _fat_?"

Sango and Miroku both winced. Not the best way to start a reunion.

Kagome looked at him calmly, yet her brown eyes radiated fire. "Some baka _made_ me fat."

"_What_ baka?"

"Baka papa! Baka papa!"

Kagome smiled at the child, who was clinging to her neck in a sweet hug. "That's right, Minako. Papa is the baka who made me fat, huh?"

Inuyasha blinked several times again. "_I_ did this to you? How?"

Sango and Miroku both fell off Kirara. Talk about your dense hanyous….

Kagome walked past Inuyasha, not bothering to answer him. Her scent, that familiar wildflower scent that was uniquely Kagome, caught his nose, as did Minako's- baby powder and soap. Yet there was another scent- like Kagome's scent, yet unlike as well. It was more like a mixture of Kagome's and… his?

It hit him like a blast from Sesshoumaru's Souryuuha. She wasn't fat.

She was carrying his pup.

He froze, staring after her, dumbfounded. How could she be carrying his pup and not tell him for four freaking _months_?

Sango ran up to Kagome and hugged her and Minako tightly. "Kagome! I'm so happy for you! And _jealous!_ Miroku and I…" She trailed off, blushing. Kagome probably didn't know that they had married.

Sure enough, Kagome looked at Sango in shock. "You? And Miroku? You…? Married?" At Sango's nod, Kagome shrieked in delight, causing Inuyasha to flatten his ears against the high-pitched sound.

"Oh, Kami! When? How? I mean, I know _how_, but…!" Kagome giggled and put Minako down on the ground to give Sango another hug. "And you're trying already?"

Sango rolled her eyes and blushed again. "You know Miroku. I had promised him I'd give him twenty children and he wants to start right away."

Kagome groaned. She looked at Miroku who was standing nearby, staring at her slightly swollen stomach thoughtfully. "I hope you're treating her good, you hentai."

The ex-monk's gaze snapped up to her face. "Of course, Kagome. She deserves nothing but the best."

"Enough of this!" Inuyasha roared. He stomped up to Kagome and turned her to face him. He got down on one of his knees and pressed a furry white ear to Kagome's belly.

Kagome blinked. "Um… Inuyasha? What… are you doing?"

"Quiet, wench! I'm trying to hear my pup!"

Kagome looked at Sango, who shrugged. Miroku shook his head.

"Um… I don't think you can hear it yet. It just started kicking me last week."

"Keh! I can hear it just fine!"

All three adults blinked. "You…can hear it?" Miroku asked, stunned.

"Of course! I can hear my pup's heartbeat. Fast little sucker."

Kagome's eyes filled with tears. He was grinning just like the proud father she had always hoped he would be. He looked up at her, his cheek still on her belly.

"What? What's with the crying?"

"Mama cwying?" Minako put a finger into her mouth and looked up at Kagome with a worried expression on her cherubic little face.

She shook her head, unable to speak. Miroku and Sango exchanged a smile.

"Shippou! Come on! Let's leave them be for now." Miroku called to Shippou, who was standing quietly, observing his beloved Kagome with confused green eyes. He shook his head as though rearranging his thoughts, and then turned and ran to Miroku and Sango.

"Hai, Youfu Miroku," he said as he jumped on Kirara's back. Miroku sighed. He helped Sango mount the large cat (not that she needed it, but _he_ needed to touch her, if nothing else) then sat behind her. With a nod, Kirara jumped into the air and headed back to Kaede's village.

Kagome watched them go. "Youfu? So they really did adopt him..." she murmured to herself. She felt two hands resting gently (gently!) on her stomach, and she remembered Inuyasha was still kneeling in front of her. Minako climbed up on his back and clung there just as Kagome had countless times before, yet she didn't think Inuyasha noticed her slight weight.

"Inuyasha?"

"I said be quiet! I'm trying to feel for him now."

"Him?"

"That's right. What else would I father except a boy?"

"How about a girl?"

"Keh! Not _this_ hanyou!"

She almost smiled. They were acting like they had before… before he had taken her and hurt her so badly. "Inuyasha…"

"Baka papa!" Minako squealed in delight.

"Don't you know how to shut up, wench?"

"Have I ever?"

He grinned up at her. Her sweet face looked down at him with none of the fear he worried might be there. The smile left his face as he stood up and looked deep into her eyes.

"Kagome… Gomen. Gomen nasai."

"For what?"

He lowered his head in shame. "For hurting you like I did. I would never… I couldn't… but I did. And for that, I…"

He shocked her with what he did next. He, Inuyasha, grumpy ornery hanyou, got down on his knees in front of Kagome and took her hands in his. Minako slid off his back and stepped back, looking at her adoptive parents in confusion.

"I beg your forgiveness. Please."

She didn't speak for a long time. When Inuyasha looked up at her, his eyes were bright with what couldn't _possibly_ be tears. The only thing she could choke out was a strangled "_Why_?"

He stood up and pulled her to him, hugging her tightly as if he never wanted to let her go again. She blinked in surprise as he held her, stroking her hair and nuzzling her neck.

"Because you're my _mate_, Kagome. I'm yours and you're mine. I _can_ live without you by my side, but I sure as hell don't want to."

He pulled back to look at her, his face soft and gentle, two expressions that she couldn't remember ever seeing him have. He gently stroked her cheek with the back of his knuckles.

"Aishiteru, Kagome."


	14. Chapter 14

**Chapter 14**

"Aishiteru, Kagome."

Kagome gasped at his words. Oh, how she had longed to hear those words from his mouth! Her heart caught in her throat and tears filled her eyes. She sniffed.

Inuyasha blinked at her. "Oi, woman! I tell you that I love you and you _cry_ on me?"

"O-oh, In-Inu-ya-sha…" she stammered out as tears spilled out of her eyes and down her cheeks. She threw her arms around his neck and squeezed him tightly. "Aishiteru…!" she sobbed.

"Emotional wench."

"Stubborn b-baka."

He pulled back to look down at her. He smeared a tear off her cheek, and then leaned down and kissed her as he had that day at Kouga's den. Sweetly, passionately, and full of all the love he had for this miko. Not just any miko- _his_ miko.

Minako ran up and squeezed her parents' legs in a big hug. "My mama! My baka papa!"

Inuyasha choked on the kiss. Kagome blushed. He sighed and leaned his forehead against hers, simply enjoying having his mate in his arms again.

As he held her tight to his body, he felt something strange against his abdomen. He looked down. He grinned as his unborn pup thumped him again. "Pretty strong, isn't he?"

"_She_ isn't usually so rough. Mostly it's been fluttery-feeling, like I swallowed a butterfly."

"Keh! My pup isn't 'fluttery.' He's a fighter, like his old man."

Inuyasha placed his hand on the front of her belly, hoping to feel the baby moving again. Minako mimicked him, placing her smaller hands next to his. He grinned at the little hanyou, who smiled back, showing her tiny fangs. He looked back at Kagome's belly and he was rewarded with a fainter squirming sensation on his palm. He grinned again and stood up. "That's my boy!"

"Girl!"

"Boy!"

"Unreasonable baka!"

"Ignorant wench!"

"My be-be!"

Both adults looked down at the little black-haired hanyou, who scowled oh-so-menacingly at her parents. Kagome chuckled.

"Yes, Minako. Your baby. And Papa's and Mama's."

"Mama be-be?"

"Yup."

"Baka papa be-be?"

Inuyasha grunted. Kagome tried to hide a smile. "Yup."

Minako looked thoughtful for a moment. Then she brightened, flicking her little black ears. "Mina mama be-be. Mina baka papa be-be. Okay?"

Inuyasha knelt down next his daughter. "Minako, you'll always be our pup. But we're gonna have another pup now too. It doesn't mean we love you any less."

She scrunched up her little face in disgust. Kagome tried not to laugh. "Mina be-be. No baka papa be-be."

Inuyasha looked at Kagome. "Translation?"

Kagome's face was turning red with her struggle not to giggle. "She said that this baby is her baby, not yours."

"Oi!"

"Oi!" echoed a little voice.

"Inuyasha! You're really going to have to watch what you say around her!"

"I'm not the one who taught her to say 'baka papa'!"

"Baka papa!" Minako attacked Inuyasha's leg and clung.

Kagome couldn't help herself. She laughed, long and loud. Soon, Inuyasha was grinning like a fool as well. His family was finally home, where they belonged.

-------------------------

"Do you think she killed him?"

"Shippou! What would make you say a thing like that?" Sango glanced at her adoptive son in shock.

The kit shrugged, acting entirely too adult-like for Sango's peace of mind. "He did call her _fat_, you know. I'm surprised she didn't kill him with that '_osuwari_' spell."

"I highly doubt that the subduing spell would be strong enough to kill a hanyou, let alone one as strong as Inuyasha," Miroku replied. "And if it had been her intention to knock his pride down a few notches, I can see her doing it. But in this regard it was simply a case of ignorance on Inuyasha's part."

"As usual," Shippou said dryly. Miroku eyed the kitsune in concern. He was acting much older than he usually did- in fact, for the last month or so, he had not been behaving like his carefree, playful kit-self. Was it Kagome's long absence or the fact that he now had two parents to answer to?

Miroku's thoughts were interrupted as the doorway mat was pushed aside to allow Kagome and Minako entrance, with Inuyasha right behind. Kaede looked up from the herbs she was crushing.

"Kagome! Ye have returned!" the older miko exclaimed happily. Kagome embraced the shorter woman, who smiled warmly with a twinkle in her eye. "And I see ye are not alone… neither in company nor in your own flesh."

Kagome blushed as Kaede made a questioning gesture towards Kagome's slightly rounded belly. She nodded and Kaede placed her weathered hands on the small mound.

"Ah! A healthy babe. Ye are truly blessed, Kagome," she said, the twinkle still in her eye. She turned to Inuyasha with a mischievous grin. He immediately went on guard.

"What, old hag?"

Kaede shook her head. "Ye will have to wait and see, Inuyasha. I promise ye will be pleasantly surprised."

His jaw dropped for a moment before he recovered. "Wait! It's a boy, isn't it? I knew it! It's a boy! I've got a boy pup!"

Kaede merely shook her head in disbelief. "I can't tell ye what ye're having, Inuyasha. I can just tell that ye'll be the happiest hanyou around."

He scowled at her. She was being deliberately vague. "Keh! I already know I'm having a boy!"

"Inuyasha!"

He winced. "What?"

"Osuwari!"

"Osuwari!" Minako echoed.

Crash! The hanyou ended up with a mouthful of floor dirt. Minako looked at her father in dismay.

"Oooh, baka papa! Yoo okay?" She patted Inuyasha on the head between his ears with a little hand, looking very concerned.

"Keh! Don't worry, pup. I'm fine." He spat out some dirt and glared at Kagome. "What the hell was that for, wench?"

"_You_ are not having a boy, Inuyasha. _I_ am having a _girl_!"

"The hell I am!"

Miroku stepped between the arguing couple. "Now, now. No reason to swear, Inuyasha. We don't want the children to pick up bad habits."

"_What_ bad habits? I ain't _got_ no bad habits."

"_You_ are a bad habit, Inuyasha." Kagome grinned.

He grinned right back. "Damn straight."

Kaede cleared her throat. "So, Kagome. Why did ye decide to come back to us?"

Shippou jumped up and ran to her, giving her a tight squeeze. Minako grabbed onto Kagome's other side, eyeing Shippou critically. "Yeah! Did you miss us?"

She smiled. "Of course, Shippou. I had planned to come back sooner, but…"

"But? But what? As soon as you knew you were carrying my pup you should've come back!"

Rather than getting upset, Kagome saddened. "I couldn't. I wanted to, but I couldn't."

Sango stepped forward and put her arm around her friend. "Couldn't? What happened, Kagome?"

She allowed Sango to guide her to a seat around Kaede's fire pit. She sat down, her face clouded in sadness. Minako stepped closer to Shippou, her finger in her mouth as she examined the kitsune. Shippou stared back.

"I was in the hospital."

"Hospital? What's that?" Shippou looked at her, confused. Miroku and Sango looked bewildered as well, and Inuyasha racked his brain as he tried to remember where he had heard that term before.

"A hospital is a giant building where really, really sick people are taken care of by doctors and nurses. Many people who would normally die are saved by doctors and nurses in these hospitals."

Kaede looked thoughtful. "These doctors are similar to village doctors, then? They heal the sick?"

Kagome nodded. "I've been in the hospital for the last two months."

"Two months!" Shippou, Sango, and Miroku all cried out together in shock. Minako jumped and ran to Inuyasha, who scooped the little girl up and set her up on his shoulders, where she immediately began playing with his ears.

"Hai. I… I almost…" She broke off, choking on unshed tears. Sango gave her an encouraging squeeze. Kagome took a deep shaky breath.

"I almost lost the baby."

Inuyasha almost hit the ceiling, which would've been tragic with Minako on his shoulders. "You _what_!"

She took another deep breath. "I almost miscarried. I started bleeding during my eighth week and Mom took me in. They ran some tests, and apparently I wasn't producing enough of a certain chemical in my body. So they kept me for observation and on strict bed rest, constantly checking my hormones and giving me medicine when I needed it."

Inuyasha stepped forward, fear and concern (two emotions she was _sure_ she had never seen before either) evident on his face. "You… almost _lost_… our pup?"

"Hai."

"And now?"

She smiled. "Everything's fine. My doctor says my body has finally balanced itself out and I'm past the major threat of miscarriage stage. I'm supposed to go back in a week for a recheck, but I knew I had to get back here to help look for shards."

"Dammit, woman!" Inuyasha roared, making Minako jump, gripping his ears tightly. He winced at her strong grip. He lowered his voice. "The fucking shards can wait! This is our pup you're talking about here!"

Everyone turned to look at him, blinking. Kagome recovered first. "_Our_ pup? I thought it was just _yours_."

"Keh! You know what I mean!"

"I'm only staying a week, Inuyasha. We'll search for shards, then I'll go back home for my checkup. Okay?"

Minako whimpered. Inuyasha lifted her down and held her to his chest. "Mina no go bye-bye. Mina baka papa be-be."

Sango and Miroku choked. Shippou laughed out loud. Inuyasha simply gave the little girl a small smile. "That's right, pup. Minako will stay with her baka papa forever. Okay?"

She grinned up at him, showing off her little fangs in the process. "Okay, baka papa!" She flung her little arms around his neck in a fierce hug and planted a resounding "smack!" on his cheek, right below the tip of his crest. The purple marks had darkened ever since Kagome had returned to him, proving the fact that she was, indeed, his chosen mate.


	15. Chapter 15

**Chapter 15**

Inuyasha paced back and forth in the sterile hallway outside Kagome's examination room in the hospital. The grumpy hanyou was approached by a few nurses, who tried to tell him to relax, but after several growls and golden glares, he was left alone.

Dammit. Some strange human was examining and checking on _his_ pup, _his_ Kagome, and all he could do was stalk back and forth like a caged animal. He let out another low growl and pulled the brim of his black baseball cap down lower over his eyes.

Kagome's mother smiled in an attempt to pacify the hanyou. "It'll be okay, Inuyasha. I've gone through similar exams during both my pregnancies. Kagome will be just fine. And so will your baby."

He stopped and looked at her with a look of confusion and wariness. Wasn't she supposed to be seething in fury that he had gotten her daughter pregnant like this? Instead, she was as happy and optimistic as ever.

He tugged at the unfamiliar clothing that Kagome's mom had bought for him. She had declared that if he wanted to come along to her obstetrician appointment that he had to "blend in." He mentally snorted. Kinda hard to "blend in" when you've got purple stripes on your cheeks, but so far, those had been ignored.

The red long-sleeve t-shirt he liked well enough, but these foreign pant-like things, called "jeans," were a little too tight for his comfort. How was someone supposed to jump into trees with their legs encased in tight, stiff material like this? He tugged at the leg of the black material again, trying to loosen it to no avail.

He had absolutely refused to wear the shoes Kagome's mom had defined as "sneakers." The idiotic things completely encased his foot to the point where he couldn't tell where he was putting one foot or the other. So her mother had compromised and found some flip-flops for him to wear, which were much more bearable.

He sighed and started pacing again. Minako watched her father from her seat on her grandmother's lap. Her bright blue eyes never left the silver-haired hanyou as his agitation grew. Today she wore a light blue dress with pink accents, with a matching bonnet that covered her wolf ears. She had her long black hair in a single braid that trailed out under the back of the bonnet, tied off by light blue and pink ribbons.

"Baka papa okay?"

Kagome's mother smiled at the little girl. "Of course, kawaii. He's just worried about your mama."

"Mama? Where mama?"

Inuyasha stopped pacing once more and turned to glare at the door that separated him from his mate. _If she doesn't come out of there in one minute, I'm gonna…_

At that moment, the door opened and Dr. Ichida stepped out, closing the door behind her. Inuyasha blinked. He hadn't realized that Kagome's doctor was a female. He stepped in front of the black-haired woman, glaring into her silver eyes, which were hidden behind a pair of glasses.

"What the hell was going on in there? Is Kagome okay? What about the p-"

"Baby," Kagome's mom interrupted quickly, cutting off Inuyasha's instinctual term for his child. "I believe he wonders how the baby is doing, Dr. Ichida."

The pretty doctor smiled understandingly. "Your baby is absolutely fine, Mr. Higurashi. Your wife is doing well, too. In fact, we're about to run an ultrasound to check how things look inside. Would you like to come in and see for yourself?"

Inuyasha blinked again. It took him a moment to realize that the doctor was addressing him. _Kagome's mother must have something to do with this... "Mr. Higurashi," indeed._

Then the doctor's words registered in his brain. Ultra-sound? What in Kami's name was _that_? It sounded like they were going to put something _inside_ his mate to see the pup? He scowled and clenched his hands into fists.

"There's _no_ fucking way you're going to put _anything _in my mate…!"

"Inuyasha!" Kagome's mother placed a comforting hand on his shoulder. "An ultrasound allows us to see images of the baby while it's still inside the mother. It helps the doctors see if there are any problems with the baby or its environment that may threaten its life or that of the mother."

"Threaten its _life? _Or _Kagome's_?" Inuaysha's golden eyes went wide in horror and shock. Kagome's mom smiled to reassure him.

"No, no! If something is found, it is usually fixable by doctors. You have nothing to worry about." She shared a special grin with Dr. Ichida. "You'll be able to see what your baby looks like before it's born."

With news like that, Inuyasha allowed himself to be led into the tiny room, where Kagome reclined on a strange-looking bed. She smiled at him, her eyes bright with excitement.

"Inuyasha! I'm so happy you decided to come in and see!"

"Keh! Not like I had much of a choice."

Her face fell. He hadn't wanted to come. "Oh… gomen. I didn't realize. If you don't want to be here…"

"Don't tell me where I want to be, wench. I _want_ to be right here, with you and our pup."

She grinned at him. Then she looked around, not seeing her mother or Minako. "Um, where is my mom? And Minako?"

Dr. Ichida entered the room, pushing a giant computer-like machine in front of her. "I saw your mother taking the little one down the hall for a treat, I believe," she replied, with a mischievous grin.

She turned to Inuyasha. "Your daughter is absolutely adorable. She looks just like you."

"Keh!"

Inuyasha flushed and busied himself with looking at the strange machine the doctor had rolled in. "What's this contraption?"

The doctor chuckled. "This is the ultrasound machine. Now, usually the technicians do the ultrasounds, but since Mrs. Higurashi is a special case, I decided to do this one personally."

Dr. Ichida winked at Kagome. "Besides, I want to see if my prediction is accurate."

"Prediction?"

"I think you're having a girl. Now, we'll see if I'm right."

Inuyasha growled at the doctor's guess of a daughter, but quelled it with a glance from his mate. He moved around the bed to her other side as the doctor set up the machine.

"Ready?"

Kagome nodded. The doctor squeezed some ice-blue gel on Kagome's slightly swollen belly, which was exposed from just below her breasts to just below her hipbones. Inuyasha made a face as the subtle scent of the gel hit his sensitive nose.

Unaware of Inuyasha's grimace, Dr. Ichida placed the "scanner" on Kagome's belly. Immediately a black and white image came onto the screen, the picture in the shape of a wide piece of pie.

"Oi! My pup isn't shaped like _that_!"

"Inuyasha! Be quiet! That's just how it looks on the screen. Look inside the 'V'."

The doctor moved the scanner around a bit, clicking keys on the machine as she did so, constantly watching the screen.

Inuyasha squinted his eyes. How the hell was anyone supposed to make anything out of all that fuzz?

"Ah-ha! There you are!" Dr. Ichida exclaimed in delight. A tiny, scrunched-up form appeared on the screen, barely discernable even to Inuyasha's superior vision because of all the static.

"_That's_ _my pup_?"

"Erm… hai, I would say so."

Kagome looked at the doctor. She had caught the doctor's hesitation. "What's wrong, Dr. Ichida?"

"One moment, Mrs. Higurashi." She moved the paddle around some more, looking intently at the screen. "There's something funny here…"

Kagome exchanged a worried glance with Inuyasha. They both thought the same thing: _could the doctor tell that the baby was part hanyou?_

She almost groaned. _Don't tell me the baby has dog ears…_ Although, in her opinion, dog ears would be as adorable on her child as they were on Inuyasha. She preferred them, of course, but how to explain them to a modern-day doctor?

Suddenly the doctor began to laugh. Inuyasha and Kagome both tensed. Inuyasha placed a hand on Kagome's shoulder as though bracing both of them for a multitude of questions and ridicule. Dr. Ichida turned to the young couple.

"Congratulations. You have twins."

Inuyasha fell over.

"Say _what_?" Kagome nearly shrieked. "You have _got_ to be kidding me."

The grinning doctor shook her head. "Nope. Sorry, Mrs. Higurashi. I am not kidding." She pointed to the figure on the screen. "Here, you will see the outline of baby A- here's the head, and an arm." Then she moved the scanner slightly, repositioning it. "And here is baby B." She showed the backbone of, undeniably, a second baby.

It was true. They were having twins. Two. Not one, but two.

Inuyasha finally recovered. "_Two pups?_"

"Hai." She moved the scanner around a bit more, getting pictures of both babies. "And I can see the gender of each baby." She glanced at the couple. "Did you wish to know?"

Kagome looked at Inuyasha. Inuyasha looked down at Kagome. He shrugged, but she knew he was dying to know. She looked back at the doctor.

"Hai, onegai."

Dr. Ichida chuckled. "It would seem that I shouldn't take up a career as a fortune-teller. Baby A looks to be a boy."

Inuyasha cheered. Kagome sighed. "That means that Baby B is a boy, too, right? I mean, twins are usually the same, right?"

Dr. Ichida cackled, truly amused. "Not this time, Mrs. Higurashi. You have a girl, too. Congratulations. You have one of each."

Inuyasha fell over again.

Kagome glanced over the side of the bed, looking down at the twitching form on the floor. "Oh, Kami. Not again."

-------------------------

Sango squealed in delight when Kagome told her that she and Inuyasha were having twins. Miroku put his arm on Inuyasha's shoulder and shook his head.

"Excellent work, Inuyasha. Not enough to father one child in a single shot, but two! And one of each gender at that! I'm impressed."

"Keh! You're just jealous because I have pups and _you_ don't."

Sango's gaze snapped up, pain evident in her coffee-hued eyes. Silently she stood up and walked outside, letting the mat fall behind her. Kagome whirled on Inuyasha, glaring.

"Inuyasha! How could you say something so insensitive?"

"What the hell did I do?"

Miroku stared at the doorway, where the mat swung slightly following Sango's exit. His eyes were deeply saddened as he spoke.

"It is not Inuyasha's fault, Kagome. Sango…" he paused, and then looked back at the miko, his indigo eyes full of sorrow. "I have failed her. We both want children so badly, yet all our efforts have proven… well, fruitless, as it were."

Kagome looked at Miroku askance. "She hasn't gotten pregnant at all?" The ex-monk shook his head.

Inuyasha snorted. "Probably because you're human. One shot is all it takes for a hanyou."

"Osuwari!"

"OW!"

Kagome pondered for a moment, tapping her finger against her chin as she thought. As the dust settled around Inuyasha's prone form, she brightened.

"I've got it! Wait here!" She stood up and hurried out the door after Sango, leaving Miroku to stare after her in confusion. Inuyasha managed to extricate himself from the hole he had made in the floor.

"What the hell is _her_ problem?"

Miroku said nothing. He prayed daily that he and Sango would be blessed with a child, but the reminder that the hanyou had gotten his mate pregnant after only one coupling, now with the knowledge that he had fathered _twins_, made him feel as though he had failed as a husband and as a man.

Sango would probably leave him. She needed a man that could give her everything- including children.

He sighed. He had asked so many women to bear his children over the years. It was ironic, that now he was having difficulty siring a child on the one woman he loved more than anything else. Punishment, probably, for his previous lecherous behavior.

Inuyasha brushed the dust off his haori. "Wench sure is moody lately."

"Of course. If I were carrying _your _hanyou twins, I'd be pretty angry too."

"Oi! Hentai! Shut your mouth!"

"I am no longer a _hentai_, as you so delightfully put it, Inuyasha. I am a happily married man. Lechery has no part of my life. I am loyal to my lovely wife."

"Keh! Once a hentai, always a hentai."

"Once a baka, always a baka."


	16. Chapter 16

**Chapter 16**

"Sango! Wait up!" Kagome hurried after her friend, panting slightly at the exertion. These pups were really starting to take their toll on her energy.

Sango stopped when she reached the edge of the river and turned, tears brimming in her lovely dark eyes. "K-Kagome…"

Coming to a halt next to the taijiya, Kagome paused to catch her breath. "I… have… an… idea…" she panted. She flashed a grin at Sango, and then proceeded to sit on the grassy bank. She motioned for her friend to sit as well.

After Sango had settled next to her, Kagome got right to the point. "Are your cycles regular?"

Sango blinked at her, somewhat confused by her question. "Cycles? You mean…?"

"Hai."

The taijiya turned away and looked at the flowing river. She slowly shook her head. "No. Sometimes I go for a couple months without a flow. Other times, I'm right on time. I never know any more."

She looked down at her hands. "I've thought so many times that… that I might _finally_ be… but, then it comes. And it's like… it's like a little part of me dies every time."

Kagome nodded in understanding. "I had an idea. I thought… maybe you'd like to try it? I mean, if you're really ready to have a baby with Miroku."

Sango turned to her and blinked. "An idea? I'd be willing to try anything." She looked back at the river, that sad look filling her eyes again. "I'd do anything to give my Houshi-sama a child…"

Kagome smiled. "Then I'll be right back. I have to go back and get Minako from my mother's anyway. Give me a day- two at the most. There's something from my time I want to bring you."

"From your time? Kagome, is that wise?"

"For you, Sango, I'd take you through the well myself if I could stop your sadness."

"Oh, Kagome. You are the greatest friend in the world."

"Besides- I need someone to share the annoyances of pregnancy with!"

The sound of both women laughing mingled with the burble of the river, creating a music that reached deep into the village and eased the minds of one worried man and one irritated hanyou.

----------------------

Kagome smiled happily to herself as she brought the package into Sango and Miroku's hut. The young couple had built a home near Kaede, insisting that they wanted to be close to the aging miko while Kagome had been away. Minako walked patiently next to her mother, her blue eyes constantly looking around for her silver-haired father.

She knocked on the outside wall of the hut, entering when she heard Sango's voice bidding her to come inside. When Sango saw who it was, she immediately abandoned the garment she had been sewing and stood, hope clear in her dark eyes. Minako looked up at her mother.

"Baka papa?"

Kagome looked down at her daughter. "Why don't you wait for mama right there?" She pointed to a pillow sitting against the wall of the hut. The little girl giggled and hurried to the pillow, making a nosedive into the soft material.

Sango smiled. "She likes pillows, I see."

Kagome laughed. "Practically lives in them. Here. This is for you."

She hurriedly brought out the package out for Sango to see.

"What… what is it?"

"It's an ovulation kit. In my time, many women have irregular cycles, so if they want to get pregnant, they use these. It'll tell you when the right time is to… well, _do _it"

Sango's eyes went wide. "This will help Miroku and I…?"

"I believe so, hai."

Kagome pulled out the instructions and read them aloud to Sango so that the taijiya would know what was required of her. She blushed at the instructions- she had never heard of a woman doing _that_ deliberately on anything, whether or not the item would tell her if she were fertile. How did a strange little stick know that just by urinating on it?

"Now, do you understand how to read it? If the two lines are both very dark, then that is the time to do it."

"Would… would you be willing to double-check the stick-thing for me? I mean, that way… in case I'm wrong?"

"Of course. Two opinions are surely better than one."

Sango looked worried. "But… what if this doesn't work?"

Kagome smiled. "Then I'll just buy another kit. For as long as it takes."

Sango finally smiled, her eyes filled with anticipation. "Then… I guess I'd better start."

----------------------

Inuyasha watched Sango leave her hut in a hurry. This was the third day in a row that the taijiya had rushed out of her hut and returned in a similar urgency. What had Kagome brought her? Or told her?

He sighed. The wench really was too helpful for her own good. But if she wanted to help Sango and that lecher have a pup, then good luck to her.

He hopped down from the tree he was sitting in and walked sedately over to Miroku, who was fishing by the river with Shippou. "Oi! Monk!"

"He's not a monk anymore, Inuyasha!" Shippou retorted.

"Quiet, gaki!"

"I am not a brat! Baka Inuyasha!" Shippou stuck his tongue out at the silver-haired hanyou.

"Shippou, you're scaring the fish." Miroku never opened his eyes nor turned his head away from the river. Yet the kitsune immediately faced forward and focused on his pole. The ex-monk and the taijiya sure had changed Shippou a lot!

"Hai, Youfu Miroku."

Inuyasha watched the two of them for a moment. They looked so natural, sitting side by side, fishing in the river. Would he and his son do things like that?

At the thought of his son, a grin spread across his face. _Keh… told that wench I'd be having a son._

He grinned wider at the thought of his daughter. _And a girl pup, too. She'll probably look like her mother. And just as moody too._

"Did you need something, Inuyasha?"

The hanyou turned his attention back to the ex-monk. "Any idea what Sango and Kagome are up to?"

"None whatsoever. However, ever since Kagome returned, Sango has been absolutely delighted. Her disposition has really turned around."

"Keh! Wench is up to something."

Suddenly a squeal of delight broke through the afternoon air. A second squeal followed the first, causing Inuyasha to flatten his ears.

"What in Kami's name is going on _now_?" Inuyasha grumped, wincing against the high-pitched squealing.

Miroku looked similarly bewildered. "I have no clue. It sounded like Sango and Kagome though."

About five seconds later Sango came hurrying down the grassy bank, her face flushed with excitement. She ignored Inuyasha and headed straight for her husband.

"Miroku."

The ex-monk looked up at his wife, taking in her enthusiasm. "Hai, Sango? Is something wrong?"

"N-no! Just… come with me, okay?" She grinned at him, a certain twinkle in her eye.

Miroku recognized that twinkle. He shot to his feet, dropping his fishing rod on the ground.

"SorryShippougottagobye" he said in one breath as Sango grabbed him by the hand. The couple practically ran up the bank toward their hut and out of sight.

Inuyasha stared after them, befuddled. What the hell just happened here?

Shippou snorted. "She must be 'in that mood.'"

The hanyou turned and looked at the kitsune. "What mood?"

Shippou gave him a Look. "_That_ mood. The one that got you and Kagome mated."

Inuyasha blinked. _Oh, noooo…_

Trying to get the image out of his skull, Inuyasha left in search of his own mate. He found her, lounging comfortably against a tree on the outskirts of Inuyasha's Forest.

"What did you do to Sango?"

Kagome looked up at Inuyasha and blinked. She had one hand resting on her ever-growing belly and the other propped up on the side of her for support. She wore a sunny yellow shirt, white shorts, and white flip-flops.

He thought she never looked more appealing.

"I… simply helped her figure out when was the best time to try for a baby."

Inuyasha raised an eyebrow at her. "With stuff from your era."

She blushed. "Well… yeah."

He sighed. She knew she wasn't supposed to do that kind of stuff, but he knew her- she wouldn't be able to rest until her friend was happy again.

"Well… I think your plan might work. She came to get Miroku at the river and he ran after her like she was in heat or something."

She giggled. "I know. Her ovulation test said that today's the day."

"You knew?"

"She asked me to double check the test for her."

He shook his head, and then crouched down next to her. "We didn't need anything like that."

Kagome looked away. "No. We didn't."

"Kagome…"

She turned to look at him, her eyes holding a great deal of sadness.

"Where's Minako?"

"Kaede said she wanted to spend some time with her. I think she's starting to feel her age, and Minako is the closest thing to grandchildren she's really got."

"Keh! Great-grandchildren, if you ask me."

"Inuyasha?"

He looked at her, his lower body tensing in a familiar way when he saw how she was looking at him. It was the same way Sango had been looking at Miroku.

"Kagome…" He didn't want to believe it, didn't want to hope that she might…

"Inuyasha…"

He kissed her, long and passionate, trying to make up for the four long months of separation. She responded as she had so long ago, sliding her hands into his silver hair and holding him close to her. He ran a hand down her shoulder to her chest, pausing right above her swollen breasts. He pulled away, slightly panting. She looked at him with bright eyes.

"Kagome… I… I want…" he gritted his teeth, irritated with himself for being unable to tell her what he was feeling.

She blinked at him. He leaned closer, placing a hand on her shoulder and bringing her closer. Gold eyes gazed into brown. "I want you, Kagome. I need you."

At her look of wariness, he shook his head. "No. I promise you, Kagome, that I won't hurt you this time. If I hurt you in _any_ way, I want you to say something. Don't just let me be… a monster… like I was last time."

Her gaze softened. "You weren't a monster, Inuyasha. I… I found out later… that it always hurts the first time. I… _we_… just didn't know how much."

"Then… will you… will you let me…?"

In reply, she took his hand, stood up, and led him deeper into the forest. She led him to Goshinboku. He looked at her in complete surprise.

"Are you sure? I mean… _here_? After what happened last time?"

She smiled, placing a finger over his lips to silence him. "Last time, we were given a very special gift, Inuyasha. Let's make a better memory- for them."

He lifted a hand to her face and gently rubbed her cheek with his knuckles. He had wronged her the last time- he would do everything in his power to make it up to her now.


	17. Chapter 17

**Chapter 17- An actual lemon, with all its citrus-y goodness! You have been warned**!

Inuyasha lay Kagome down on the grass next to Goshinboku as the wind swept through the branches, making the leaves rustle in a soft music. His ears rotated, searching out for any unwanted interruptions. Both his ears and his nose told him that they were alone- just his mate and his desire to make it all right again.

He gazed upon her, drawn by an indescribable glow of her skin, of her aura in general. Her long black hair fanned out over the grass and her eyes were half open as she regarded him. "Inuyasha… I… "

Placing a claw over her lips, he silenced her apologies. Swiftly, sweetly, he lowered himself to replace his claw with his mouth. He kissed her softly, taking great pains to make sure he didn't harm her in any way.

Kagome almost cried as she felt how tender and gentle he was being with her. A lone hand slid up her rounded belly under her shirt, its caress feather light on her skin. As he released her mouth to kiss lightly down the side of her neck, a gentle squirming moved his hand.

Pulling away, he looked down at where his hand rested on her stomach. The movement repeated itself. He grinned, then sobered.

"Our pups probably don't want me doing this to their mama."

She raised a hand and pressed it against his cheek, her thumb tracing the purple crest. "They know when I'm being loved, Inuyasha. They won't mind."

At her encouragement, he kissed her again, this time licking her lips with the tip of his tongue. When she gasped at the sensation, he dipped his tongue inside to sensuously touch hers.

Her whole body felt warm. A liquid sensation coalesced at the junction of her thighs and she pressed her legs together tightly. A shiver of pleasure shook her body with the pressure. She moaned.

He grasped the edge of her shirt and pulled it over her head, resisting the urge to simply slice through the garment. She unhooked her bra for him, so that it too, did not meet a tragic fate.

Tugging her shorts and panties off in one grunting wriggle, she lay on the grass, her legs demurely together. Brown eyes gazed up at him in desire, love, and hope… with only a trace amount of fear. She feared he would turn into the beast he had before.

No way. Absolutely not. He refused. He would love her with everything he had- not just his youkai side. He would worship her as he should have done all these years instead of hurting her by running off after the past.

Now, bare and defenseless, she reclined between Goshinboku's roots like some fertile wood nymph. Her already ample bosom was enlarged from pregnancy and her gently rounded abdomen only made her that much more beautiful. Inuyasha sat back on his heels for a moment, simply staring at her with liquid amber eyes.

Kagome blushed and tried to cover up her nudity with her slender arms.

Inuyasha muttered a "keh!" and ever so gently lifted her hands away so that he could see just how benevolent the gods were in giving him this woman as his mate.

"It's unfair," she whispered, so softly that only he with his superb hearing could hear her words, "that I am lying here like this and you are still fully clothed."

He grinned his "I'm-a-bad-ass" grin, making quick work of his clothing until he knelt over her knees, as bare as she.

Her eyes widened a bit as she saw the source of all the squirming in her abdomen, as well as a few other symptoms, not all limited to pregnancy. No wonder it had hurt so much… His lithe body still bore the slender muscles of a youth, regardless of his true age. Slender hips led to strong legs and nestled in between, the source of all her nightmares and her dreams… Crowned with the same silver-soft hair that was brushing against her legs, he was certainly a force to reckon with- not only on the battlefield.

Hot liquid pooled between her thighs and she clenched her legs tight again, bringing another wave of passion. Did he have _any_ idea what his perfect body was doing to her?

His "bad-ass" grin widened as his eyes narrowed seductively. She blinked. She didn't know he _had_ a seductive side.

"I can scent you, Kagome…"

Kagome gasped in embarrassment. Inuyasha nuzzled her neck, ever-so-lightly squeezing a sensitive breast. "G-g-gomen," she gasped as delight shivered through her body at his touch.

"Don't be," he whispered. "It shows me that you're not afraid of me anymore."

Taking a clawed finger, he lightly trailed the tip of his claw down her ribs, past her waist and hips, and over her thigh to rest lightly on the thatch of curls shielding her from him.

She jerked, the sensation tantalizing. Her scent increased slightly.

Smiling gently down at her, he carefully slid the pads of his fingertips down the curls, pressing her thighs slightly apart. Shakily, she moved them for him, a show of her determination to do this for him, because she loved him.

Her scent hit him like a truck. He closed his eyes in an attempt to hold back his desire; else he would simply take her and mount her as his youkai was screaming to. This had to be for her- to show her that he was truly sorry and to show her how much he loved her, body and soul.

Pressing a finger gently against her liquid warmth, she cried out softly and he was rewarded with a warm pulse of her nectar. He pressed again, careful not to hurt her with his deadly claws, moaning when she cried out again.

"Kagome… I can't… I can't take much more…"

Panting slightly, she opened her eyes partially to gaze at him. The brown orbs were dark with passion and desire. His own eyes glowed like molten gold, showing how his body was on fire for her.

"Inuyasha," she murmured, arching her back a little. Her scent increased as she writhed slightly in frustration. "I can't either… onegai…. Onegai… Itoshii…"

Beloved. She had called him her _beloved_. After everything he had put her through, all the pain and anguish, not to mention all the baka things he had done since he had _met_ her- and she still called him itoshii.

"Onegai, Inuyasha…" she whispered, lifting her hips off the ground.

Torn between fulfilling her (and his) wishes, he carefully knelt between her open thighs, his amber gaze resting on her rounded abdomen.

_This won't hurt the pups, will it?_

_No, baka- if it was going to, do you think that Kagome would let you?_

_Good point._

"Kagome," he whispered as he teased her opening with his tip. She whimpered, reaching up to grab his shoulders. He fell half onto her body, his tip just barely inside her body.

"Are… are you _sure?_"

She was panting, her eyes nearly black with need. She dug her fingernails into his shoulders, making crescent-shaped indents in his tough skin. "Onegai, itoshii… I need you…_now_..."

Gritting his teeth as though about to have a fang pulled out again, he pushed himself deeper inside her. This time, the passage was slick and hot, her juices making the entry easy for him.

Aside from a slightly odd filling sensation, Kagome felt no pain, no discomfort. In fact, she felt… complete. Having Inuyasha inside her, this time with caring and gentleness, was almost the single most incredible feeling she'd ever had, second only to feeling her babies move for the first time.

When she cried out in excitement, Inuyasha's ears caught only passion in her voice this time- no pain, no regrets.

Slowly, he slid back and forth inside her tight, hot passage. The friction was almost unbearable- how was he going to keep from finishing this too fast? The sensation was indescribable.

His movements created a pressure, centralized all around where he was slowly teasing. In her mind it was too slow- she wanted the pressure released, before she exploded. Something had to give.

Silver-white hair cascaded around his shoulders, creating a curtain around their mating bodies. He held himself off of her, out of fear of hurting the pups if he lay on her swollen belly, but this also gave him such an enticing view of her bare body that he was having a difficult time holding off his release.

Kagome was gasping, her fingers clenching and releasing his shoulders as the feeling of absolute wonderment built. He reached up, balancing his upper body on one arm, and stroked her hair.

"Aishiteru, my mate…"

Tears filled her eyes as his gentle caress led to her undoing. She whimpered, then cried out his name as she exploded, radiating wave after wave of ecstasy from between her legs throughout her body. Her body shivered and she raked her nails down his back, leaving trails of shallow scratches from his shoulders to his waist. If she had been youkai, she would've drawn blood.

The walls of her passage convulsed as she reached her fulfillment. He couldn't hold back any more and thrust a final time, more firmly than before, emptying himself deep inside her body. Her body milked every last drop from him as he dug his claws into the grass on either side of her head.

All he wanted to do was collapse exhausted on top of her. But the knowledge of his pups prevented him. _I'm a hanyou_, some tired part of his mind reminded him. _I shouldn't be tired after that anyway. I'm tougher than that!_

His youkai sighed contentedly. _Well, I'm tired, even if you're not. That was better than last time._

Inuyasha slowly opened his eyes to see Kagome trying to catch her breath. A few stray sweat-beads decorated her temples.

"Are you okay?"

She opened her eyes and looked up at him with all the love and adoration she could muster.

"I'm better than okay."

He raised an eyebrow at her.

She sighed. "That was…."

He waited.

Opening her eyes, she looked at him again, smiling.

"No wonder Miroku was always trying to get women to bear him children."

Inuyasha laughed, a genuinely amused sound that echoed through the forest, startling birds from the treetops. It was one of the first times Kagome had ever heard him laugh that way, where he was truly happy.

He withdrew carefully, trying not to hurt her with his exit. She gasped at the retreating sensation. He lay beside her, gathering her in his arms and pulling her body to spoon with his, his arms wrapped around her swollen belly.

"Did I hurt you?"

She shook her head, idly tracing designs on the back of his hands with her fingertip. "Quite the opposite, actually."

He grinned into her hair. "Better be, wench."

Inuyasha reached over and grabbed his fire-rat haori and draped it over their naked bodies, then wrapped his arms around his mate again, his palms flat on her belly.

They lay like that for several silent moments, both enjoying the chance to snuggle together, both their hands splayed on Kagome's stomach to share the love with their unborn pups.

Just before Inuyasha dozed off from the warm, fuzzy feeling of being with his family, his ears perked forward as the heard Kagome whisper.

"Aishiteru, Inuyasha. Always."

He smiled.

**---------Author's Note----------**

**Disclaimer- I don't own Inuyasha or anything related thereto- except my OCs. Those are mine. This disclaimer covers all of my stories, so please don't sue me. I'm poor anyway.**


	18. Chapter 18

Chapter 18

"If I didn't know better, I'd swear I was dreaming."

Inuyasha opened his eyes. The first thing that he realized was that he had fallen asleep- something he rarely ever did. And never that deeply. Secondly, he was naked with his arms around a sleeping Kagome, who was also similarly nude. His fire-rat haori covered them both somewhat, yet it was obvious what they had been doing under Goshinboku.

Third, Kikyou was standing a few yards away, gazing at the couple with her usual impassive features. Her brown eyes held a mixture of disgust, shock, and a trace of anger. Or was it jealousy?

Inuyasha didn't have time to really dwell on it as he reached over and grasped Tetsusaiga, ready to wield it against his former love if she should threaten Kagome or his pups. He really wasn't dressed for battle (or at all, for that matter) but he was willing to do anything to protect them, should Kikyou's intent be malicious.

"What do you want, Kikyou?" he asked warily, soft enough to not wake Kagome.

The dead miko's Shinidamachuu floated around her as she gazed down at him. "I merely wanted to see if my suspicions were true."

"What suspicions?"

She blinked slowly. "That you and my reincarnation had mated." She smiled almost wistfully. "Not only that, but created two new lives in the process."

Inuyasha's grip on the Tetsusaiga's hilt tightened. "What the hell do you know about my pups?"

"Only that the miko's blood runs true. Your pups would carry youkai blood as well as miko's blood. The two should not be able to mix and create new life. However, in this case, her pure powers seem to have overridden your _tainted_ hanyou blood."

Inuyasha stared at her. "What! You mean… that my pups are completely _human_?"

Kikyou smirked. "Disappointed, Inuyasha? Welcome to my existence. I experience it every day. Now, it is your turn."

She turned and sedately walked away, her Shinidamachuu following in her wake.

--------------------

Kagome yawned, stretching. She noticed that Inuyasha was no longer curled up by her side. She sat up, clutching his haori to her chest.

"Inuyasha?" she whispered as her brown eyes found him staring up at the spot where he had been pinned for fifty years. He was dressed in his hakama and cream under-shirt, Tetsusaiga resting against his hip. He turned at the sound of his name.

"Kagome, you're awake." His golden eyes shone with love for her, yet she could also see sadness in the amber orbs. Why was he sad?

She smiled hesitantly. "G-gomen… I didn't mean to sleep for so long." She reached over and grabbed her clothes, quickly getting dressed.

She stood up, handing the fire-rat haori to her mate. "Arigatou."

Inuyasha hopped down from the root he had been standing on, landing in front of Kagome. He stared into her eyes as he gently took the haori from her hand.

Kagome could tell there was something bothering him. "What is it, Inuyasha?"

He remained silent for a long time. Swiftly donning his haori, he began walking away.

"Inuyasha?"

The hanyou turned around, his usual expression returned. "Oi, wench! We need to get back to Kaede's! I don't want that old hag filling my pup's head with nonsense!"

Kagome smiled. Whatever had been bothering him was gone now. He was back to his gruff, ornery self again.

------------------

Minako squealed as Inuyasha swept into the hut and scooped the little girl into his arms. "Baka papa!"

The hanyou rolled his eyes. "You need to teach my pup how to properly address her papa!" he grumped to the girl leaning against the doorway of the hut.

Kagome gave him a look of unconcern. "She _is_ addressing you properly."

"Mouthy wench!"

"I'm carrying twin hanyou babies and taking care of Minako too! I can be just as mouthy as I want to be!"

Instead of retorting as usual, Inuyasha blinked and turned away, leaving her staring at his back in confusion, the playful moment evaporating.

"Inuyasha? What's wrong?" She stepped up behind him and placed a loving hand on his shoulder.

"Keh! Nothing! Just want to take my pup and get out of here." He whirled suddenly and vanished through the doorway, leaving Kagome to stare after him in concern.

Kaede looked up from her usual seat by the fire-pit. "I would wager that ye know what might ail him, Kagome."

The young miko slowly rubbed her swollen belly, turning her gaze back to the doorway. Her eyes grew sad.

"Kikyou."

"Aye," Kaede nodded. "I saw my sister's Shinidamachuu flying through the trees in Inuyasha's Forest- where, I believe, ye two were otherwise occupied?"

Kagome managed to both blush and look confused. "But if Kikyou had shown up, wouldn't I have known it?"

The old miko regarded her kettle of stew. "If ye were sleeping, would Inuyasha wake ye up to confront his previous love while ye are pregnant with his babes?"

Kagome blinked. "No… no, I suppose he wouldn't."

"Lady Kaede! Lady Kaede!" A breathless young man burst into the hut, startling the two mikos. Kaede got to her feet as quickly as she could.

"What is it? What's wrong?"

The young man panted for breath. "Youkai… attacking the village! Inuyasha is fighting it, but… it seems like it's stronger than he is!"

Kagome gasped and got to her feet as well, running out the door as best she could. She grabbed her bow and quiver from their resting place outside Miroku and Sango's hut and hurried toward the sounds of crashing and swearing. A familiar feeling pulled at her as she got closer. A jewel shard! And a huge one at that! How could she have missed it?

"Fucking bastard! I recognize your scent!" Inuyasha yelled. Kagome tried to move faster. _Minako…Minako was with Inuyasha…_

She paused at the edge of the fields. Inuyasha was in a clearing, Tetsusaiga fully transformed in his hand. Facing the hanyou was a lethally beautiful man with long orange hair, streaked with odd black strands. _I thought the man said a youkai was attacking us..._

Looking closer at the stranger, she could see the pointed ears and claw-tipped fingers. She moved closer, looking for the shards that she knew he had to have.

Inuyasha finally noticed that Kagome had shown up. "Kagome, no! Stay back!"

Kagome turned to look at him. "He's got jewel shards, Inuyasha!"

"No shit!"

She blinked. Well, par-don _her_. She nocked an arrow and took aim at the orange-haired stranger. "Then I'll just get them myself!"

The youkai turned toward her, his unnaturally orange eyes unblinking. "This Toramaru does not think so, ningen." His voice was almost a purr, soft and velvety.

A dark green diamond-shape crest stood out starkly against his pale skin, with lighter green jagged-edged crests on each cheek. His orange eyes were outlined with the same light green color. Kagome gasped.

'_This Toramaru'… He's a tai-youkai… the same as Sesshoumaru!_

"Damn it! Your fight is with me, not the girl!" Inuyasha yelled at the tai-youkai. The orange-haired youkai regarded Inuyasha for a moment, the wind billowing his orange haori and hakama. Strange black stripes were on the edges of his sleeves and around the bottom of his hakama. He wore a single katana at his side.

"Indeed, half-breed. My fight is without a doubt with you." He took a step closer to Inuyasha, who tightened his grip on the Tetsusaiga. "I will make you watch as I kill your mate and cubs, then I will finish you off."

"Why? In Kami's name, why?" Kagome screamed. Inuyasha growled at her, trying to get her to shut up and run.

A predatory smile split his handsome face. "Because you and this abomination not only saved the atrocity that _bitch_ and her ningen mate created, but because you are continuing the disgrace by raising it as your own."

He growled, his smile now becoming a scowl. "The creatures you and this half-breed have created should never be allowed to take breath. Their foul souls should be sent to hell with all the other half-breeds!" He took a step towards Kagome, who backed up slightly, trying to control her shaking long enough to fire a purity arrow at him.

"You fucking bastard! Don't you _ever_ threaten my mate or my pups!" Inuyasha roared, jumping high into the air, Tetsusaiga raised over his head. "_Kaze no Kizu_!"

He unleashed the Wind Scar on the tai-youkai, who withstood it and stared back at him in disgust. Inuyasha's jaw dropped. "How in all the hells did he survive that?"

Kagome pulled herself together. "It's the jewel, Inuyasha! He's got almost half of the entire Shikon no Tama!"

_And we've got the other half…_Inuyasha mulled that over in his mind. _Then we'll just have to kill him and take his jewel shard._

_But he withstood the Wind Scar. Who's to say he'll go down that easily?_

_Shaddup! I can take this puny tiger youkai. Tai-youkai or not- he's just as weak as Sesshoumaru._

His youkai snorted. _What about Kagome? She won't leave you._

Inuyasha looked at the miko, who was stubbornly refusing to run. "Kagome! You need to get out of here! _Now_!"

The tiger tai-youkai lunged toward Kagome, his long claws ready to rend her apart. She screamed as she prepared herself for death. _I should've listened to Inuyasha…_

She found herself tackled and thrown to the side. Inuyasha lifted himself off her and glared down at her. "Stupid fucking wench! Next time you want to get killed, do it when you're not carrying our pups!"

She blinked. _Our pups…he called them ours. _"Where's Minako?"

"That worthless monk and Sango have her. Miroku is no help now without his Wind Tunnel and he refuses to let Sango fight at all. Now get your ass up and hide with them!" He jumped up and tried to lead the tiger tai-youkai away from her.

"Pathetic half-breed," the tiger hissed. "I will obliterate all creatures that have spawned from youkai mating with insignificant humans."

"Keh! This is one hanyou that will make you eat your words."

Kagome couldn't help herself. "Why do you hate hanyous so much? What did they ever do to you?"

The tiger tai-youkai stalked Inuyasha, looking every inch the predatory cat. "_She_ refused the alliance… actually refused me- _Toramaru_, the Tora no Taishou of the Eastern Lands! She denied me the chance to rule two Lands so that she could be with her ningen love!"

Kagome gasped as the pieces fell into place. Kasumi. Kouga's sister, who had disappeared from the mountains. He had said she was being trained as an Alpha female for another pack- she had thought he meant _wolf_ pack. What if it had been for a _tiger_ tribe?

"We had killed off that bitch and then went after her lover, whom she actually had the audacity to call _mate_, and we thought we had slain him as well- him and that filth they created. It should have died with him!" Toramaru hissed.

Inuyasha's eyes were hidden by his bangs as the tiger circled him. When he looked up, his eyes were crimson and his fangs had lengthened, hanging over his bottom lip. The lavender crests on his cheeks began to glow, pulsing like a heartbeat. When he spoke, his voice was deep and gravelly.

"Do _not_ call my pup '_filth_,'" he growled. Toramaru looked briefly surprised, but then the lethal smile was back.

"You are the same as her- forsaking the youkai blood for a ningen!" He laughed, loud and cruel. "Then you shall die the same as her as well!"

The tiger tai-youkai's eyes shifted colors as the wind blew around him. His body began to grow and lengthen as his face became more feline.

Soon, a huge tiger loomed over the hanyou and his mate. The stripes on his cheeks were the same light green as in his other form and the dark green diamond-shape crest was evident on his forehead. His size was near unto Sesshoumaru's when he had transformed in their father's grave.

Something caught Kagome's eye. "Inuyasha! The chunk of shard is in the center of the diamond crest on his forehead!"

_Figures_, Inuyasha thought wryly. He tightened his hands around the Tetsusaiga and growled at the huge tiger. "Damn tiger. You're in the way."

**-_You are the one in the way, hanyou. In the way of purebloods!-_**

Kagome blinked. Toramaru was talking inside their minds! She could only watch in fear and horror as her mate, now almost completely transformed, and the giant tiger tai-youkai slashed and sliced at each other in a fierce battle.

A sudden gust of wind almost pushed her forward. She turned around to see the source and was completely speechless as she saw who had appeared behind her.

It was Sesshoumaru, Inu no Taishou of the Western Lands. And walking at his side, slightly behind him was Kagura, mistress of the Winds.


	19. Chapter 19

Chapter 19

Sesshoumaru walked past Kagome without even glancing at her. Kagura, on the other hand, stopped and helped the young miko to her feet.

Kagome stared at the wind youkai, confused. "Kagura? What…? Why…?"

Kagura shook her head. "Sesshoumaru wants you out of the way, and your mate with you. This is his battle now. Toramaru has invaded the Western Lands and must now pay the consequences."

_**-So… you come to protect your filthy half-breed brother, Sesshoumaru?-**_

Sesshoumaru regarded the large feline with cool disinterest. "You have invaded my lands, Toramaru. Now you will pay for your stupidity."

**_-Ha! The day an Inu defeats a Tora is the day my lands will be ruled by a hanyou!-_**

Sesshoumaru stepped forward, his eyes shifting to crimson. "So be it." Immediately his features lengthened and his body grew, until he was a great white dog with poison-dripping saliva. The fearsome effect was marred only by the fact that he was standing on three legs instead of four- resulting from that first battle against Inuyasha.

The tiger tai-youkai laughed, making strange yowling sounds. **_–So this is the mighty Sesshoumaru's true form? A crippled puppy!-_**

Inuyasha growled up at the tiger. "Shut your fucking mouth, _kitty_, or I'll shut it for you!"

Toramaru's orange and crimson eyes fixated on the hanyou. **_–I will obliterate the line of the Inu no Taishou and take over the Western Lands. I will rule over all of Japan! And my first act will be to eliminate all half-breeds!-_**

Sesshoumaru stepped between the tiger and his brother. **_–Inuyasha… take your mate away from here. If anything should befall my niece and nephew, there will be hell to pay- by you.-_**

Inuyasha snorted, his eyes returning to gold and his fangs shrinking. The crests on his cheeks stopped their pulsing and returned to normal. "Feh!"

He jumped away, heading for Kagome and Kagura. "Let's go, wench! Maybe next time you'll listen to me and get the hell away when I fucking tell you to!"

Kagura pulled a feather out of her hair and soared high into the air. Kagome got on Inuyasha's back and he took off for Kaede's village, where Miroku and Sango were supposed to be keeping Minako safe. Kagura followed.

"Inuyasha- why is Kagura still alive? Didn't Naraku…?" Kagome asked as he ran.

"How should I know? And why she's hanging around with my brother is beyond me!"

Kagome smiled softly. "Maybe she loves him?"

"Keh!"

They arrived at Kaede's hut, where Sango emerged, looking worried. "Inuyasha! Kagome! What's going on? Is the youkai defeated?"

Inuyasha carefully let Kagome down, and then stuffed his hands into his sleeves. "Sesshoumaru is dealing with the Tora no Taishou as we speak."

Sango gasped. "Sesshoumaru?"

The hanyou shrugged. "Apparently it's a tai-youkai thing. No reason for Kagome to risk her life and those of my pups."

Kagome rolled her eyes. "They're my pups too, Inuyasha."

"Like hell."

She smirked at him. "Then you can do all the diapering."

"Oh, _hell_ no. That's _your_ job."

Sango interrupted. "You know, maybe it would be better if Kagome would go home to her era- that way, your babies won't be in danger."

"Pups."

"Put a sock in it, Baka Papa."

"Baka papa! Baka papa!" A small black figure flew out of the hut, attacked Inuyasha's leg and clung. Miroku followed with Shippou sitting on his shoulder.

"Minako! How's my girl?" Inuyasha scooped her up and her eyes went to his ears, which immediately began twitching. She giggled and scrunched up her face as she tried to twitch her own ears.

Kagura approached the small group, her magenta eyes gazing at everyone with no hint of malice.

Sango gasped. "Kagura! But… Naraku… he destroyed you…"

Kagura smiled warmly, which was surprising to everyone present. "Yes… he did. He destroyed my body- not my soul. My soul was scattered to the wind, where it truly belonged."

Miroku eyed the seemingly-normal-looking Kagura. "And your present body…?"

Sango thwapped him upside his head.

Kagura chuckled at the interlude between the two. "I have Kanna to thank for that. After Kagome destroyed the infant that was Naraku's heart, she was freed from his control. She had a body, but no soul. I was a soul, but no body. She agreed to let my soul inhabit her body. Now, we are truly sisters."

Kagome looked confused. "But… then you should have Kanna's form, not your own."

The wind youkai shook her head. "I think that might have been Kanna's doing. Once my soul settled in her body, it changed and became as you see me now. The only difference, now, is that I no longer bear the spider scar on my back. I am truly free."

Inuyasha snorted. "And Sesshoumaru?"

Kagura actually blushed. "I… followed him. He did not believe it was me at first, but his youkai senses could tell that I was the same." She smiled again, her eyes bright with tears. "I love him. I couldn't do anything but find him again."

Inuyasha nearly had a heart attack. Kagome sighed happily. Sango and Miroku looked stunned. Shippou snorted.

Kagura looked back at where she had left Sesshoumaru. "I have not told him how I feel- but perhaps someday I will have enough courage to do so."

-----------------------

The tiger tai-youkai circled around the giant white dog, its orange and red eyes shining in the afternoon sun.

_**-This fight was not to have concerned you, puppy. I was merely correcting an error.-**_

**_-Silence. This Sesshoumaru will now correct your error of threatening my niece and nephew.-_**

The tiger laughed, yowling again. **_–Since when does the great Sesshoumaru care about family? Especially those with human blood?-_**

Sesshoumaru growled, dripping poison saliva onto the ground. **_–My affairs are none of your concern. Now die…-_**

With that final statement, the inu-youkai jumped into the air, his fangs bared as he leaped for the tiger's throat.

The tiger growled back, swiping at Sesshoumaru with one huge paw. He evaded the razor-sharp claws and relentlessly went for the tiger's jugular.

The inu-youkai managed to grasp the back of the tiger's neck in his jaws, lifting him off his feet and tossing him quite some distance away to crash into a rocky gorge. An angry roar echoed from the canyon.

Sesshoumaru quickly followed his prey. He jumped high and managed to land on top of the angry feline, his venomous saliva dripping onto the orange and black fur.

He sunk his teeth into the back of Toramaru's neck, injecting him with some of the poisoned saliva.

The tiger roared again, this time in pain as the toxin entered his system. As a tai-youkai, his defense systems were stronger than normal, but Sesshoumaru's poison was simply too strong for him to overcome. He rolled, trying to dislodge the inu from his back.

Sesshoumaru jumped off and Toramaru gazed at him, panting, as blood and green poison dripped down his neck.

_**-You will not win, Inu no Taishou. I will defeat you and take your lands!-**_

Sesshoumaru didn't bother to reply. The poison was spreading quickly, making the tiger choke and foam at the mouth.

The inu-youkai shimmered, transforming into his silver-haired form. He regarded Toramaru with bored eyes as the tora-youkai also returned to his other form.

He lay, battered and bleeding, on the rocky ground, greenish spittle dripping from his mouth. "Stupid… puppy… you really think you've won? The others…. The other tora-youkai… they will avenge me. They will prevent you from taking… my lands…" He cackled weakly, coughing and spitting up blood and green poison.

Sesshoumaru stared at Toramaru as if bored. "Enough. Your incessant prattle has annoyed me." He flung out a hand and, with his green energy whip, snapped the head off the Tora no Taishou of the Eastern Lands.

He watched the remains to disintegrate and scatter on the wind, and then stepped forward to pick something up. He turned away and walked silently out of the gorge.

---------------------

Kagome wondered how she had gotten herself into this mess. Sango and Shippou were both sitting by her, their hands splayed on her belly as they waited for one of the twins to move again.

"Ooo! I felt him!" Shippou cried, smiling. Sango grinned.

"Hopefully, I'll be looking like you in a few months, Kagome," the taijiya whispered to her friend. Kagome grinned back.

"We'll know in a few weeks, huh?" Kagome reassured the older woman. Sango looked hopeful.

Kagura stepped inside the hut, looking embarrassed. "Oh, gomen nasai… I didn't mean to interrupt."

Kagome smiled at the wind youkai. "Don't worry about it. The twins are just very active today and everyone wants to feel them."

She looked up at the somewhat wistful look on Kagura's face. "Would… would you like to feel them too?"

Surprised, Kagura nodded slightly. She knelt next to Shippou, who hopped over to give her room. Hesitantly, the wind sorceress placed a hand next to Shippou's on Kagome's swollen belly.

Her eyes lit up as a gentle thump hit her palm. "Oh… Kami! That's so… so…!"

Sango and Kagome chuckled. "Yup. That about sums it up!"

Kagura looked sad for a moment. "Kagome… what…. What's it like?"

The miko looked confused for a moment. "What is _what_ like? Pregnancy?"

Kagura nodded slightly. Sango smiled. She, too, felt the same way.

Kagome sighed. "I read once that 'pregnancy is getting company inside one's own skin.' I'd have to heartily agree. Sometimes I feel like these two are going to split me in half with all their kicking and squirming."

Sango giggled. "I'd be worried about those claws. Do you think they get them while they're still inside you, or do they grow them later?"

Kagura shrugged then giggled, too. "Just imagine how youkai mothers feel."

All three women groaned and then broke into laughter. It was strange, having a one-time enemy laughing and joking with you. Kagome was glad though, that Kagura finally had the chance to live her life how she wanted.

Sango raised an eyebrow at Kagura mischievously. "You'll have to be sure to let us know that when Sesshoumaru knocks you up."

That got bigger hoots of laughter. Kagura wiped a tear from her eye, still smiling. "That's hilarious. I doubt he even thinks of me in that way."

Kagome rolled her eyes. "Puh-lease… I'm sure that even Mr. I-have-ice-for-blood has needs and soon he'll realize that his mate is right under his nose."

Kagura laughed. Sango grinned. "Maybe we should set you two up on a romantic date."

The wind youkai looked at Sango, dumbfounded. "Say _what?_"


	20. Chapter 20

**Chapter 20**

Inuyasha stared at the hut where Kagura had entered a few moments before. The sound of giggling and female laughter reached his ears, making them twitch. He scowled from his perch in a nearby tree.

"What ails you, Inuyasha?" Miroku called up to his friend. The inu looked down at the monk, who was carrying a sleeping Minako in his arms.

"They're up to something."

Miroku raised an eyebrow. "What makes you think that?"

The hanyou dropped down from his branch and landed on the soft grass next to Miroku without a sound. "The laughter. Three females together with giggling like that means trouble."

Miroku shook his head. "Typical of _you_ to be paranoid about three lovely women enjoying themselves."

Inuyasha snorted. "Marriage ain't changed you at all. You're _still_ a lech."

"And _you_ are still dense."

"Accurate as always, monk. Too bad my baka brother isn't as intelligent as you seem to be."

Miroku and Inuyasha's heads swiveled to stare at the Inu no Taishou, Sesshoumaru, who walked blithely up to the young men without so much as an eye blink marring his perfectly frozen mask of indifference.

As he stopped next to the two men Inuyasha glared up at him. "And who's to say you're _soooo_ much smarter than me?" he snarled at his older brother.

Sesshoumaru actually rolled his eyes. "See what I mean? Completely useless."

Now the hanyou was growling, his hand resting on Tetsusaiga's hilt. "Say that again, bastard."

Instead of rising to the bait, Sesshoumaru simply tossed an object to the disgruntled hanyou.

Reflexively he caught it. Gazing at the object in his hand, he blinked in surprise. "This is…!"

"The chunk of the Shikon no Tama that the Tiger youkai had. Indeed."

Kagome came hurrying- waddling, rather- towards them, one hand on her belly as if to hold it where it was and the other holding her bow and quiver of arrows. Sango and Kagura were right behind her, weapons in hand. "Inuyasha! There's a huge shard…!"

The hanyou rolled his eyes. "No kidding, wench." He held up the chunk that his half-brother had just tossed to him. "What do you think _this_ is?"

The three women stared at him in shock. Kagura looked at Sesshoumaru. "I take it you won, my lord."

His golden gaze regarded the wind youkai. "Was there ever any doubt?"

Kagura blushed and bowed deeply in apology. "G-gomen nasai, Lord Sesshoumaru."

He turned around and began to walk away from the gathering. "It is of no consequence, Kagura. Come. It is time to depart."

Bowing to her one-time enemies, Kagura bid them goodbye. She hurried after Sesshoumaru, who waited for her a few paces away. He startled everyone when he placed an arm around the wind sorceress and bore the two of them into the sky and out of sight.

Miroku whistled in amazement. "Never thought I'd see him do _that_."

Kagome raised an eyebrow at him. "Which part? The kindness towards Kagura or the embrace as he flew away?"

The ex-monk chuckled. "Both."

Inuyasha snorted as he handed the chunk of Shikon no Tama to Kagome. "Never mind that baka. He can do whatever the hell he wants as long as he stays away from me and my pups."

"_Our_ pups." Kagome pulled out the large fragment of the Shikon no Tama that they had already collected and placed both pieces in her hands. She closed her eyes and concentrated, a pale pink glow emanating from her clasped hands.

When the glow had faded, she opened her hands to reveal… an almost complete Shikon no Tama.

There were still shards missing, it seemed.

Sango looked over her friend's shoulder at the jewel. "You don't think Kouga found some again, do you?"

At the mention of Minako's biological uncle's name, Inuyasha growled deep in his throat. "It would be just like that bastard to use them to try and take back Minako."

Kagome gasped as she looked up at her mate. "You… you don't really think he might…?"

Miroku gazed at the little hanyou who was snoozing on his shoulder. "I don't want to say anything negative about Minako's kin, but in this case Kouga might just come back for her- if only for revenge against Inuyasha."

Knuckles cracked. "I'll kill that mangy wolf this time if he tries anything!" he snarled.

Minako stirred from her nap on Miroku's shoulder. She sat up in Miroku's arms, rubbing her bright blue eyes that were still heavy from sleep. "Mama?"

Kagome stepped forward to take the little girl into her arms, wincing at the extra weight. "I'm right here, baby."

Inuyasha was by her side in an instant, practically forcing his pregnant mate take a seat on the grass. "Dumb wench. Doesn't even realize when it's time to stop carrying Minako around and take care of herself."

Kagome glared up at him. "I wouldn't _be_ in this condition if it weren't for you, so don't order me around!"

"You're carrying _my_ pups so you'll do what I say!"

"Just because they're hanyou doesn't make them _only_ yours!"

Inuyasha sat back suddenly, his expression pained. Kagome blinked at him in concern. "Inuyasha? Are you okay?"

He snorted and turned around, crouched in his customary position facing away from her. Minako crawled into his lap and began tugging on the long white hair that hung over his shoulders. "Keh! Why wouldn't I be? _You're_ the one who's breeding, not me."

Miroku and Sango exchanged glances from their observation point a few yards away. The taijiya nodded and led her husband back towards the village, leaving the "happy" family some privacy.

"What do you think his problem is?" Sango asked Miroku on their way back.

The ex-monk shrugged, but looked concerned as well. "He was acting like normal- normal for Inuyasha, that is- until Kagome mentioned the fact that the babies aren't just his."

Sango rolled Kagome's comment over and over in her mind, trying to find the trigger to Inuyasha's sudden change. …_just because they're hanyou_…

Looking up at her husband, Sango placed a hand on his arm in concern. "You don't think he's worried that Kagome won't accept hanyou children?"

Miroku shook his head. "Impossible. She loves Minako as if she were her own flesh and blood, and she's a hanyou. That can't be the reason."

He stopped suddenly, his eyes wide open. Sango looked back at him, worried. "What? What did you think of?"

Shaking his head, he resumed walking. "Never mind. I doubt that's the case, anyway."

She raised an eyebrow at him. "Tell me."

He sighed. "I just wonder if maybe there's something wrong with the babies that Inuyasha knows about but won't tell Kagome."

"Well, knowing Inuyasha, I doubt he'd get that upset about it and not tell her. It has to be something else."

"Maybe you're right."

Once inside their hut, Sango secured the mat that covered the door, then turned to her husband. That familiar glint was in her eye again.

"Miroku?"

He gulped. "Hai, Sango?"

She smiled, guaranteed to melt his heart. "All this talk of babies…"

A seductive chuckle escaped his throat as he stepped closer to her, his hand caressing her throat as he moved his body close. "Gives me some ideas… I agree…"

She giggled as he gently laid her down on their mat. "Half the fun is trying…" he murmured before he tipped his head down to capture her lips with his.

------------------------------

Minako danced around Inuyasha, occasionally stalking the iterant bug. The silver-haired hanyou watched his adopted daughter with both a happy and a heavy heart.

_I can't believe my pups, my own flesh and blood, are going to be… completely human. Will Minako be the only other hanyou in the family besides me? Will they… reject me… for my tainted blood because they don't have any?_

He sighed dejectedly. Minako ran over and glomped him, knocking him right over onto the grass, much to Kagome's amusement. "Oi, pup! Careful! I don't want you getting hurt!"

"Baka papa wuv Mina?" Big blue eyes blinked down at him from her perch on his chest.

He chuckled. "Of course Papa loves Mina."

She scrunched up her little face, twitching her small black ears. "Baka papa wuv Mama?"

Inuyasha looked over at his mate, who was watching him intently from her seat in the nearby grass. His gaze softened as locked with hers. "Hai, pup. Papa loves Mama…"

Kagome blushed not only at his words but at his loving gaze. One of the twins gave her a particularly hard thump and she winced.

Inuyasha was at her side instantly. "What's wrong?"

She rolled her eyes at him. "One of your children has it in _his_ head that he's going to kick his way out of me."

He raised an eyebrow at her. "What makes you think it's my son?"

Leaning forward, she stared him right in the eye. "Because if he's anything like you, he's going to be ornery and violent."

"Like any girl of yours is going to be any better!"

"I'm a _lot_ nicer than you are!"

"Keh!"

She leaned forward and gave him a quick kiss on the lips, which effectively shut him up. As he sat back and blushed while Minako tittered.

"I'm thinking it's time to go back home," she murmured.

"To your own time?"

"Yeah. I heard that twins usually come early, and I don't want to be stuck here in case something happens."

He shot to his feet, baring his teeth and growling. "What the hell do you mean 'in case something happens'!"

She blinked. "Well, I just think it would be better to be in my own time, where there are doctors and hospitals…"

The hanyou snorted and stuffed his hands inside the sleeves of his haori. Minako watched her father and took up a similar stance, settling for crossing her arms since she was wearing a short-sleeve sailor dress rather than a kimono or a haori.

"Fine. Let's go then."

He reached over and gently helped her to her feet. "What about saying goodbye to Miroku and Sango?" she asked once she was standing.

Surprisingly, he blushed. "I… think they're busy right now. I don't think they'll be… available… to say goodbye any time soon."

Kagome had to choke back a laugh. "Then we'll just say goodbye to Shippou and Kaede." She began walking back to the village, Minako running around her legs in a circular motion. "After that, I need to get back. I'm dying for some Reece's Peanut Butter Cups!"

Inuyasha scratched an ear with a long claw. "Fleece peanut _whats_?"


	21. Chapter 21

**Chapter 21**

Inuyasha paced back and forth outside the birthing room door. He couldn't stand being cooped up in that room- regardless of how spacious they claimed it was. Granted, it was bigger than some of the other rooms in this building where other humans were, but it still wasn't big enough for him to feel comfortable in for too long.

Every so often he'd peek inside at his mate, who lay propped up on a weird elevated bed. A strange machine that was attached to bands around her greatly rounded belly was making constant little beeps, which those people working there said was a monitor keeping track of his pups' heartbeats.

He snorted mentally. _All they had to do was ask me and I'd be able to tell them how their heartbeats are. I've been listening to them for months now._

The pacing hanyou wanted to run his claws through his hair, but the bandanna covering his ears prevented that. He glanced down at his "modern" attire, wishing for not the first time that he was back in his hakama and haori rather than these stupid things called "jeans."

Tetsusaiga he had managed to smuggle into Kagome's birthing room, where it sat propped up in a corner behind the door, where no one would think to look. Not that he felt he needed it, but he felt safer knowing it was nearby.

A whimper from the room had Inuyasha cracking his knuckles and dashing to Kagome's side. His mate was propped up in the strange looking bed, gripping the blankets as she fought through another birthing pain. "K-kagome?"

Tiredly, she opened her eyes to look at her mate. "Inu… yasha…" she whispered, beads of sweat on her brow. "Gomen…"

"You're sorry? What the hell for?"

She smiled wearily. "For… being so… weak."

"Weak! How in all the hells are you _weak_!" he retorted angrily. "You're doing something that even _I_ wouldn't be able to handle!"

Kagome managed an amused smile. "True… I doubt even the son… of the great Inu no Taishou… would be able to… give birth to twins… without crying." She winced and whimpered again as another contraction gripped her belly.

She reached out to him with a shaking hand, which he gripped in his steady one. "Inuyasha? How… is Sango doing? It's been so long… since I've seen her."

Realizing dimly that she needed something to take her mind off the pains, he tried to reassure her. "Sango's doing great. Not as nearly as big as you are, but she's definitely getting there."

She glared at him as she panted her way through another contraction, clutching his hand in a death grip that almost made him wince. "_Are you calling me fat?_" she growled at him, her voice worthy of any youkai.

He blinked innocently. "N-no… of course not!" Kami save him from a woman in labor. "Miroku and I have a wager going as to what she's gonna have."

Kagome chuckled wryly. "No doubt you put your money on a boy."

"Keh! I'll have you know that I said it'll be a girl. And it ain't money."

Gripping the sheets again, Kagome looked at him with one eye while the other one was squinted shut. "What… did you bet… then?"

"Don't you think you should concentrate on having our pups instead of something that don't concern you?"

"I need to concentrate on something other than the _pain_!" she snarled back.

Luckily for the chastened hanyou, a nurse chose that moment to come in to check the monitor. "Mrs. Higurashi? How are you doing?"

Kagome glared at the nurse. "Get them out of me. _Now_."

The nurse chuckled as Inuyasha backed away toward the door, ready to flee again. "Don't worry. From the looks of things, everything is going perfectly fine. Just let me check to see how far you are…"

Inuyasha ran out of the room before the nurse could check his mate. _There's no way I'm gonna be in here while she's doing that._

The nurse didn't even bat an eye at Inuyasha's retreat. She checked Kagome, then beamed up at the laboring girl with a bright smile.

"Congratulations! You're ready to roll."

Kagome blinked. "It… it's time? To push?"

The nurse chuckled as she walked to the phone and paged Dr. Ichida to come to the labor and delivery room. "Yup. Pretty soon you'll be holding those little wigglers in your arms instead of your belly."

Inuyasha, with his superior hearing, poked his head in the door, looking warily at his mate. "Say _what_?"

"She says it's time to push them out, baka," Kagome panted. "So you better not think about running out again!"

He flushed as he stepped back into the room. "I wasn't running out. I just can't handle being in this room."

She snorted. "Liar."

"You just can't handle seeing your wife in pain, am I correct, Mr. Higurashi?"

The poor hanyou grunted. There wasn't anything in that statement he wanted to admit to. He turned away from the nurse, wishing yet again for his haori so he could stuff his hands in his sleeves.

The nurse smiled her reassurances at Kagome. "Don't you worry now. I'll get the other assistants and be back before you know it." She patted Kagome's arm and then left the room.

Inuyasha eyed his mate. "Y-you… are you… okay?"

The laboring miko growled at him. "Of _course_ I'm not okay! _I'm giving birth here!_"

Swallowing his pride, the hanyou stepped over to the side of the bed, his face saddened. "Gomen nasai… for doing this to you."

Kagome blinked up at him in surprise as he brushed her temple gently with the back of his hand.

"Inuyasha… " she whispered. Then she managed to smile at him. "Aishiteru."

He blinked at her. She still loved him after he had done this to her? Would wonders never cease…

Smiling, he leaned down to kiss her sweetly. "Aishiteru, Kagome."

A deliberate cough signaled the arrival of Dr. Ichida and her assistants. "It's good to see she's not trying to castrate you, Mr. Higurashi. I've seen so many laboring women threatening their husband's manhood for putting them through such agony." The doctor grinned mischievously at the flushing hanyou. "Although the rewards are worth far more than the price of the pain."

The nurses bustled around the room, one readying the warming bassinets for the imminent arrivals, while another propped Kagome into a sitting position. Yet another nurse removed the foot of her bed (which surprised Inuyasha- he hadn't known the bed could do that) so that the doctor could do her thing.

A few more assistants came in- two for each bassinet, therefore, two for each baby. They stood at the ready, blankets and towels in arms as they waited patiently. The other nurses finished their jobs and moved away from Kagome, except for the one who had been taking care of her since she had been admitted right before dawn. She moved to the side opposite Inuyasha and placed a comforting hand on Kagome's shoulder.

"Now, if it's all right with you and your husband, I'll help with the coaching so that Dr. Ichida can focus on your babies," the nurse said softly in Kagome's ear. The young miko glanced at her mate, who nodded. He had no idea of what to do, so the nurse's help was imperative.

Dr. Ichida had finished prepping and rolled her stool up to the end of the bed, pushing the sheet up over Kagome's upraised knees. Inuyasha nearly choked in embarrassment. The doctor was exposing his mate to everyone in the room!

The only pacifying fact about that was that all the people in the room (besides him) were female.

"Ok, Kagome. Are you ready to do this?" Dr. Ichida asked cheerfully.

"Kami, _yes!_" came the whimpering response. Inuyasha flattened his ears underneath his bandanna.

"Ok, dear, just push as steadily as you can for ten seconds, okay?"

Kagome nodded, grabbed her upraised knees and pushed for all she was worth.

"One, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine, and ten… good! Now take a deep breath and again, with the next contraction. One, two,…"

Inuyasha lost count of how many times the nurse had to count to ten as his mate fought to bring his pups into the world. _My pups… no, my babies. They won't be pups- they'll be full humans. I can't think of them as pups._

Finally, around two in the afternoon, a tiny wail filled the room as Inuyasha's son made his presence known.

"And here's your little boy!" Dr. Ichida beamed as she held up the red-faced newborn. His eyes were squinted shut and he was still covered from the birth, but Kagome thought he was the most beautiful little boy in the world. She couldn't really see from where she was, but… did he have Inuyasha's ears? The doctor hadn't seemed fazed by anything abnormal with the baby- what was going on?

Dr. Ichida held up the clamped off umbilical cord to Inuyasha. "Would you like to do the honors, Daddy?"

Inuyasha blinked, still spaced out from the miracle of watching his son being born. He ignored the offered surgical scissors and sliced neatly through the cord with his index finger claw, his gaze still on his son. Two of the nurses snatched him away, briskly rubbing him and cleaning him off as he continued to wail in discontent.

The poor doctor blinked several times, unsure of what she had just witnessed. Before she could really muse about that, she noticed a second head emerging. "And here comes the other one!" she said, trying to keep her mind on the business at hand rather than the behavior of the father.

Kagome pushed, focusing her energies on delivering her second child. The head emerged and the doctor suctioned out the mouth and nose before having Kagome push a final time.

"And here is your girl! Sure enough- we're two for two!" Dr. Ichida exclaimed in delight.

Kagome sat up this time, looking closely at her daughter as Inuyasha repeated the act of slicing the cord with his claw rather than the scissors. The little girl looked just like her twin had- red-faced and wailing.

The other two nurses took the little girl over to the bassinet and cleaned her up as well, while one of her son's nurses brought the little boy over to his father.

"Here you go. Congratulations, Daddy. He's six pounds even, seventeen inches long. Rather a good size for a twin."

Inuyasha accepted the tiny bundle with careful arms. He stood by Kagome's side, staring down at his son in silent amazement. _My son…_

Afraid to verify Kikyou's words to him four months ago in the forest, his gaze moved up from his son's face to the baby blue cap that covered his head. _I… I have to see… for myself…_

He slowly pulled the cap off his son's head as Kagome looked wearily at her mate and son. Her eyes widened in surprise as the cap came off.

He had normal human ears.

He had hair as black as his mother, and as his father on his human night. No claws, no dog ears. He… was completely human.

Inuyasha looked at Kagome in stunned silence. Tears filled her eyes as a nurse handed the other twin to her mother.

"She's five pounds, thirteen ounces. Slightly smaller than her brother, but she'll do just fine."

Dr. Ichida finished up with Kagome and the afterbirth. "We'll take them to the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit to check them over, but I'm wagering that they'll be fine. As long as they nurse well, you should be able to take them home right away." She congratulated them both before she left the room to allow them to bond with their new additions.

Kagome nodded numbly as Inuyasha moved closer to her side, gazing at their daughter. As with his son, he gently pulled her cap off.

She, too, had human ears.

She had the same black hair as her brother and mother. She was a human baby.

Kagome burst into tears.

Inuyasha fought back the urge to do the same. He gritted his teeth as the pain of failure swept over him. _Kikyou was right… they're human…_

His mate looked up at him, tears streaming down her cheeks. "Wh-what went wrong? Why… aren't they hanyou?" she sobbed.

Inuyasha closed his eyes. "Kikyou… she said your miko blood… cleansed their tainted hanyou blood… and made them human."

Fury replaced sadness in Kagome's brown eyes. "_Kikyou_! When did you talk with _her_?"

He sighed. "About four months ago- she… visited… after our first, um… afternoon together. She said that she could sense the pups- I mean, _babies_, were human."

Kagome gazed down at the baby in her arms. "I… I'm so… so very sorry, Inuyasha. This is all my fault."

Before Inuyasha could argue with her, the little girl opened her eyes. Kagome gasped. Inuyasha leaned in closer to look at his daughter.

She had gold eyes.

Turning his attention back to his son, Inuyasha peered at the boy closely. Sensing the attention, the baby opened his eyes to regard his father.

He had the same gold eyes.

The new parents stared at each other for a long moment. What did this mean?


	22. Chapter 22

**Chapter 22**

Inuyasha sat in the cushy rocker, holding his new daughter. The tiny girl was sucking eagerly on a bottle of freshly pumped milk, straight from the source itself. Kagome had felt so bad about her role in the purification of their children that she wanted to make up for it by sharing feeding times with her mate.

Kagome rested on the bed, a tiny black head attached to one breast as she nursed the other twin. She ran her thumb lightly over the tiny baby's cheek in wonder.

"I can't believe… they're here," she murmured, smiling.

Inuyasha snorted softly so as not to disturb his feasting mistress. "Believe it. Life will never be the same, wench."

Kagome sighed as she watched the sun go down slowly outside her window. "I know. But I don't think I'd trade it for anything, regardless."

The hanyou leaned back into the chair, resting his head so his gaze was on the ceiling. "Me, either."

The sun had dipped below the horizon, signaling the end of yet another day. This day, however, had seen the birth of two very special, very unique, children. Kagome smiled at the encroaching twilight.

_Time to switch sides… I don't want to nurse only one side…_she thought vaguely. She glanced down at her son and let out a cry of surprise.

Inuyasha immediately turned around to look at Kagome. "What? What's wrong?"

"He… he…" she couldn't form the words.

He shot out of the chair without taking his gaze off their son. As he got closer his jaw dropped in shock.

Two tiny black dog ears stuck out from the downy black hair on his head. Tiny claws, needle-sharp, tipped his fingers. Their son had transformed into a hanyou.

Stupefied, the new parents turned their attention as one to the little girl in Inuyasha's arms. Completely oblivious to the shock of her parents, the baby continued to nurse happily.

Her appearance, however, had changed drastically. Her hair was no longer black, but the silver-white of her father, with tiny white dog ears to match. The same tiny claws tipped her fingers as well.

"Holy Kami- they're hanyou after all!" Inuyasha exclaimed.

Kagome started to cry again, this time in joy and relief. She had been so distraught over his revelation of Kikyou's meeting that she hadn't been able to truly enjoy her children. It seemed that Kikyou's prediction was wrong.

Relaxing against her pillow again, Kagome wiped the last of her tears away. "Inuyasha?"

"What?"

"We need to name them, you know."

He sighed. "Yeah, I know."

"Any ideas?"

"Keh! Of course not!"

She smiled at his adamant denial. "I do."

"So? Spit it out already!"

She hesitated, unsure of his reaction. "I… well, I wanted to honor… your mother… and name our daughter Izayoi."

His golden gaze snapped to hers. "You… would do that… for me? For my mother?"

"Of course. Is… that okay with you?"

His eyes warmed over. "I'm sure... she'd be honored. She would've loved you, you know."

Kagome smiled. "I feel as though she already does."

Reverting back to his gruff self, he nodded at his dozing son. "What about him? Any ideas for him?"

"Don't you want to name him, since I named our daughter?"

He was silent for a while as he burped Izayoi. "How about Kuroinu?"

"_Black dog_, huh? That's nice."

His ears twitched. "You don't like it."

"No! It's a very nice name."

"Keh! Now who's the liar?"

"I'm not lying!"

He snorted. "Well, it was either that or Inusouta."

She blinked. "After my brother?"

He flushed slightly as he rocked Izayoi to sleep. "Well… yeah, I mean, I've never had a brother that was as nice to me as he's been."

Kagome gazed at her now-sleeping son. "_Handsome_ _dog_… that might work."

"So which is it gonna be? My pup can't go nameless forever."

She chuckled softly. She was really worn out. "I like both names. You pick."

"Oi, I came up with 'em- the least you can do is chose one."

When she didn't answer, he turned in the rocker and glanced at her. She was sound asleep; their son snuggled safely in her arms as she lay on her side.

He allowed himself to uncharacteristically smile warmly at the sweet scene before him. The hanyou stood up, careful not to wake his daughter, and carried her to her hospital bassinet nearby. Stroking her smooth cheek feather-softly with the knuckle of his index finger, he gazed in awe at the second of his miracles. _My daughter… my little girl…_

He returned to Kagome's bedside and gently picked up his son. The tiny hanyou scrunched up his face as if he would start to cry, but settled down as soon as Inuyasha held him close. _Pup already knows my scent… that's my boy…_

Once both babies were settled in their respective bassinets, Inuyasha once again walked back to his mate's side. Silently he gazed down at her, amazed at everything she had done for him, for their children. And yet she looked the same as ever, lovely and relaxed in sleep. He knew she wasn't as weak as he always complained she was- her efforts today proved that completely.

Since there was no room in the bed for him to join her comfortably, he opted to settle himself on the floor behind the door, clutching Tetsusaiga in his arms out of habit. As he crouched down and made himself comfortable, his last thoughts before falling asleep were happy ones.

_I'm a father…_

-------------------------------------

"Hello! Where are my grandchildren?" a bubbly, cheerful voice asked as Kagome's mom poked her head into the room.

Kagome chuckled. "They're just finishing breakfast, Mom. Come on in."

Mrs. Higurashi stepped into the room, a curious Minako clinging in her arms, customary bonnet covering her wolf ears. "Someone wanted to meet her new brother and sister, too."

Inuyasha looked up from the bottle he was feeding his son. "Good morning, Mrs. Higurashi. Was Minako any trouble?"

"Of course not! Not _my_ angel." She set Minako down on the floor, where she promptly ran over to her father to investigate the bundle in his arms. "Now, since this one has a pink hat, I'm guessing this is my granddaughter."

Kagome smiled joyfully as she looked down at her nursing daughter. "Mom, this is Izayoi. We named her in honor of Inuyasha's mother."

Mrs. Higurashi beamed at her daughter in pride. "I'm so proud of you- I'm sure Inuyasha's mother would be as well."

She glanced over at Inuyasha, who was showing Minako her new brother. "And what is that young man's name?"

The new mother hesitated. "We… haven't decided yet."

Mrs. Higurashi looked startled. "You haven't? No ideas even?"

"Oi, I told you to choose, wench!"

Kagome glared at her mate. "And _I_ told _you_ that since I named Izayoi, you should name our son."

"Keh! I did my part!"

"As in, you helped make them, therefore your part is done?"

"Damn right."

"Try again, baka."

Mrs. Higurashi chuckled at the byplay between the two. "Still, he needs a name."

Inuyasha nodded firmly. "That's what I told her. No pup of mine is going nameless."

Kagome rolled her eyes. "Mom, maybe you can help us. Inuyasha came up with two names and I can't choose between them."

"Of course, dear. But remember, he's your son. My opinion really shouldn't count- it should be yours and Inuyasha's decision."

"He came up with Kuroinu and Inusouta. I like them both."

"_Black dog_ and _handsome dog_, huh? They both fit him perfectly… although, he doesn't seem to look much like Inuyasha…"

A vein throbbed in Inuyasha's forehead. "That's just 'cause it's daytime."

Mrs. Higurashi looked confused. "What do you mean?"

"The pups look human during the day. At night, they change. My son's hair color doesn't change, but he gets black dog ears, while Izayoi ends up shifting the entire way, complete with silver-white hair and white ears."

"Really…" Mrs. Higurashi regarded her granddaughter with renewed interest as Kagome burped her. Then she gave her daughter a careful hug. "That's wonderful! Although, even without the dog ears, they're still the cutest babies around."

"Damn straight." Inuyasha puffed up his chest with pride.

Kagome's mom turned her gaze back to her grandson. "Inusouta wouldn't happen to have been in reference to Kagome's brother, would it?"

"It was Inuyasha's idea, since Souta looks up to him as an older brother anyway." Kagome grinned at her mother.

Tears touched her mom's eyes. "I'm sure he would be honored if you chose to name your son after him like that. But it needs to be your decision- I like both names."

Kagome sighed as Izayoi emitted a tiny burp. "Then we're right back where we started." She glanced mischievously at her mom. "I don't suppose you'd want to hold her…"

Mrs. Higurashi practically scooped the baby out of Kagome's arms. "It's about time!" she chuckled merrily as she settled down to coo at her new granddaughter. Izayoi blinked up at her grandmother, her gold eyes shining. "I see she has your eyes, Inuyasha."

"And his appetite," Kagome added wryly.

Inuyasha snorted. "I'll have you know that both my pups have my eyes. Their big mouths come from their mother."

"Inuyasha! You're lucky you're holding my son or you'd be in some serious trouble."

"You shouldn't _osuwari_ your mate anyway, you ungrateful wench. You need to be taught the proper respect for the dominant male."

Kagome rolled her eyes again. "As soon as I find a dominant male, I'll be sure to respect him to the fullest extent he deserves."

Minako blinked up at her mother. "Mama has be-be? Papa has be-be? Minako need be-be!"

Inuyasha scooped up the little girl and settled her on his lap, arranging her so that the baby boy was resting half in her arms, half supported by his father. "Here, pup. You can hold your new brother with me, okay?"

"Okay, Papa. Be-be brudder has name?" she asked innocently as she observed the golden-eyed baby.

This time Inuyasha rolled his eyes. "This will never end…"

"Until we choose," Kagome finished, shaking her head in defeat.


	23. Chapter 23

**Chapter 23**

Inuyasha glanced around cautiously as he and Kagome walked up the steps leading to the shrine and the house, each of them carrying a baby carrier with a twin safely nestled inside.

"Don't know why I can't just carry my pup in my arms," he grumbled under his breath as he continued to look around warily.

"It's safer this way, Inuyasha," Kagome replied, smiling at her mate. "Besides, the hospital wouldn't let them leave unless they were in the proper carriers."

She watched him for a moment as he looked around. "What are you looking for?"

"I'm just making sure that crazy old man doesn't jump out of the bushes and try to exorcise my pups."

"Inuyasha!" Kagome exclaimed. "He wouldn't do that! These are his great-grandchildren!"

"Keh! Like that matters to an old geezer like him."

Kagome sighed as they reached the top of the stairs and walked slowly toward the house. "I'm sure he'll be delighted to meet them."

Indeed, before they could even reach the patio door, Souta ran out of the house, bursting with excitement. "You're home!" He turned his head and hollered into the house. "Mom, Gramps! Kagome and inu-no-nii-chan are home!"

Kagome's mom and grandfather hurriedly followed Souta into the yard, both smiling happily. "Why didn't you call me? I could've come to the hospital to pick you two up."

The new mother shook her head. "Inuyasha wouldn't have been able to stand it in a car, Mom. It wasn't that far anyway, so we just walked. I made sure to go slow, for the twins' sake and mine."

Inuyasha glanced around. "Where's Minako?"

Mrs. Higurashi smiled. "She's inside taking her afternoon nap. Now, why don't we get you into the house, where you can relax?" She took the baby carrier from Kagome and helped her daughter into the house and onto the couch.

Inuyasha snorted. The old man was eyeballing the pup in the carrier in his arms and it made Inuyasha wary. He turned and followed his mate into the house, letting Souta and the old man follow behind.

Once seated next to his mate in the living room, Inuyasha unhooked his son from his carrier and lifted him into his arms, while Kagome's mom had already claimed Izayoi. The newborns were awake and quite alert, looking at everything around them with bright gold eyes.

Souta grinned. "Wow… they've got inu-no-nii-chan's eyes."

Kagome exchanged a glance with her mate. He nodded.

"Souta, we wanted to ask your permission to name our son after you."

The boy blinked. "What? After me? Why?"

His sister smiled. "Because you're such a great brother, after all. Why else?"

Souta's eyes lit up. "Really? His name is gonna be Souta?"

The hanyou snorted. "His name will be Inusouta."

"Wow! That's so… so… fantastic! Not only am I an uncle, but one of them is named after me!"

Kagome's mom smiled at her daughter. "I see you decided on a name for my new grandson."

"Yup. Took us long enough, too."

Kagome yawned, stretching. "Mom, would you mind watching Izayoi so I could take a bath? I really need a good long soak."

"Of course! You didn't even need to ask."

Giving her mate a kiss on the cheek before heading upstairs, Kagome yawned again. "Fatigue rears its ugly head…"

--------------------------------

Souta stared at Inuyasha, who was still beet-red after Kagome's kiss on his cheek. "She's got it for you pretty bad, huh?"

"Keh! She'd better!"

The boy raised a skeptical eyebrow. "Like you're not head over heels for her as well."

"Keep this up and we won't name the pup after you at all."

Kagome's grandfather was moving slowly over to Mrs. Higurashi, looking carefully at his new great-granddaughter. Inuyasha's ears went flat.

"Oi, old man! Keep your fake sutras away from my pups!"

"Quiet! I can see perfectly well that these children have been spared the evil in your blood! My Kagome did an excellent job in purifying these babies!"

"Father! Stop that now! There is nothing wrong with Inuyasha's blood, as well you know! You're just bitter because I wouldn't let you visit them in the hospital," Kagome's mom admonished him.

The old man actually looked miffed. "Yes, well… be that as it may…"

Inuyasha unclenched the fist he had unconsciously been tightening. Kagome's grandfather was harmless enough- the stuff that came out of his mouth was annoying, at most.

"Come on, Gramps! You know that these are two of the cutest babies you've ever seen! Stop trying to irritate inu-no-nii-chan." Souta held up Inusouta, who blinked innocently at his great-grandfather.

The old man smiled, melting. "Hai, that they are…"

Inuyasha snorted. "Senile old man…"

Mrs. Higurashi leaned towards her daughter's mate. "Inuyasha, maybe you should go check on Kagome and see how she's doing. I'll keep an eye on these two."

The poor hanyou looked startled. She smiled reassuringly at him. "Don't worry. They'll be fine."

_Yeah, but how will _I_ survive?_

Gritting his teeth, he headed up the stairs, his ears perked for the slightest sound. He reached the bathroom at the top of the landing and was surprised to see that it was empty.

He sniffed. _Kagome bathed in here, all right. But it looks like she's done already._

Turning around and walking silently to her room, he poked his head in to see his mate sound asleep on her bed, her hair still wrapped in a towel although she had changed into fresh clothes.

_It's probably good for her to catch up on her sleep now that we're home. She really hasn't had a chance to completely rest since she had the pups two days ago._

Unable to walk away from the lovely woman sleeping peacefully on the bed, he stepped soundlessly into the room, closing the door carefully behind him.

_I can't believe everything she's given me. And what have I given her? Misery and pain. Why does she put up with me?_

_Simple, baka. She loves you._

Allowing his gruff exterior to relax, he gazed down at her, all the love and protectiveness he felt for her shown plainly on his face.

Kagome chose that moment to open her eyes and wearily focus on the hanyou staring down at her in adoration. "Inuyasha?" she whispered almost inaudibly.

He flushed at being caught staring at her like that. She, on the other hand, simply smiled sleepily and held out an arm invitingly. "Come lie with me, onegai," she murmured as she closed her eyes again.

Unable to resist, he carefully climbed over her to lie on the other side of her, wrapping his arm around her protectively. She snuggled back against his warmth and was quickly asleep again.

Her scent, wildflowers and sunshine, wafted into his nostrils, making his body tighten in response. He settled his cheek against her pillow, relaxing for the first time in months. His pups were healthy and strong, his mate was doing fine, and he felt complete. For the first time in his life, he had a complete family. He belonged.

Squeezing her slightly closer to his body, he smiled as he drifted off. His dreams, which had been full of doubts and worries for the past few months, were now filled with visions of his family.

_-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-_

_His mother laughed as she held her giggling grandson, who looked to be several months old. His father looked on proudly as his granddaughter crawled after a bug in the grass. Kagome sat in the grass nearby, smiling with such warmth that he couldn't help but return the smile. He looked at his mother, who seemed to radiate happiness._

-You've done well, my son. Now you have found the love and fulfillment that we had, even if it had only been for a very short time. We know your happiness will last much longer.-

_His mother_ _smiled as she handed Inusouta over to her son, giving them both a hug before releasing her grandson._

_His father, powerful and commanding as Inuyasha had always imagined him to be, regarded his second-born son with approval._

-I, too, am proud of you, son. You have chosen a mate that is worthy of you. Make sure you are a good mate to her.-

_The Inu no Taishou smiled gently as baby Izayoi crawled over to his Mokomoko-sama and squeezed it tightly. Reaching down, he picked up the baby and held her up as if inspecting her._

-Teach them all that you know. They are of the inu-youkai blood, no matter how little they might bear. You have done well.-

_Kagome stood up and walked to her mate's side, smiling warmly up at Inuyasha's father. He bowed slightly in return, which shocked the young parents. Before Kagome could bow respectfully, he relinquished his granddaughter to her mother._

_Thus did Inuyasha and Kagome, each holding one of their babies, watch as his long-dead parents bid farewell and returned to the underworld._

_-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-_

Inuyasha blinked slowly as the dream dissipated. He sat up, mindful of the stirring woman beside him.

_Did I really…dream that? It seemed so real… as if they actually came to see us…_

Kagome yawned as she stretched against her mate. "Oh… I had the nicest dream."

He raised an eyebrow at her but said nothing.

She smiled at him as she reached up to caress one of his ears. "I dreamt your parents came to see the twins."

Stunned, he could only blink at her. Finally he was able to speak. "You… what?"

Wrapping her arms around her upraised knees, she stared at the ceiling as she remembered what she could. "Your mother… and your father. They came to us to see Izayoi and Inusouta. They said they approved of the match between you and me and that we had done well with our babies." She turned to her mate and gave him a heartening smile. "They said they were proud of us."

Unexpected emotion welled up inside the hanyou's heart. He uncharacteristically wrapped his mate into a tight hug, needing to hold her close. "I think they are, itoshii. I really think they are."

----------------------

A very light knock sounded on the bedroom door, audible to only Inuyasha's superior hearing. He leapt off the bed and opened the door, where he was promptly glomped by a little black-haired hanyou.

"Papapapapapapapapapapapa!" Minako squealed as she attached herself to her father's leg.

Inuyasha chortled. "It's good to see you too, pup."

Kagome grinned at her daughter. "What- no hug for Mama?"

Minako peeked around her father's leg at her mother. "_My_ papa."

"Hai, pup, I'm your papa. But I'm also Izayoi and Inusouta's papa, too."

"Iza and Inu papa too?"

"Yup. So you have to share."

The little hanyou scowled up at her father. "No share. _My_ papa."

Mrs. Higurashi took that moment to appear in the open doorway, a twin in each arm. "I hope I'm not interrupting, but I think these two are hungry."

Kagome made as if to get off the bed when Inuyasha signaled her to stay sitting. Bemused, she watched as he accepted Inusouta from his grandmother and carried him to her to nurse.

"What was _that_ for?"

He scowled as he handed over his son. "You're still worn out from the birth. You need to take it easy- you're just a weak human after all."

She growled at him. Actually growled. He blinked in surprise, flushing. "I-I d-didn't mean-!"

"_Osuwari!_"

A resounding crash signaled his faceplant to the floor. Minako kneeled by her father, looking very concerned as she patted his head between his white dog ears. "Papa, you okay? Papa, what wrong?"

Kagome closed her eyes in irritation as Inusouta suckled merrily at her breast. "Baka papa."

Inuyasha managed to raise his head to glare at his mate on the bed. "Baka… who's a baka, wench!"

Minako grinned happily at her father and proceeded to give him a sloppy kiss on the cheek, right next to the faint lavender crest.

"_My_ baka papa!"


	24. Chapter 24

**Chapter 24**- **Gomen nasai, minna. I was told that I might have cancer and needless to say, my mind has not been focused on my fanfictions. I will do what I can though, because your reviews and comments mean so much to me. They truly inspire me to continue writing. Arigatou!**

Kagome sat outside under Goshiboku, the shade of the great god tree obscuring the bright sunshine illuminating the shrine. With Izayoi and Inusouta sleeping peacefully in their crib inside the house, she had a moment to relax and reflect on the events of the past few weeks.

Once it was clear that Kagome had finally recuperated from the birth, Inuyasha had relented slightly on allowing her to resume her normal activities of taking care of the children, with her mother's delighted help, and catching up on missed schoolwork.

He still refused to let her through the well.

_It's not like I'd be gone for long. I just want to see Sango and see how her pregnancy is progressing. Not to mention visit with Miroku, Shippou, and Kaede again._

She sighed. She really missed her friends.

"Hello! Kagome, are you home?" a friendly voice called out hesitantly from the vicinity of the back door.

Kagome blinked. _Surely not…_She glanced at the house and froze. Eri, Ayumi, and Yuka from school had come to pay her a visit.

Eri glanced over at Goshinboku and smiled as her eyes found Kagome. "Kagome! You must be feeling much better if you're outside instead of in your room recuperating."

Ever wary, Kagome smiled hesitantly at her friends as they walked over to where she was sitting. "Um… hai, hai I feel… much better." _What did Grandpa tell them _this_ time?_

Yuka glared at her friend. "Your grandfather said you were _pregnant_, Kagome."

Her face turning bright red, Kagome winced. "Um, well… Hai. I was."

Ayumi looked nervous. "Er… Kagome… was it… is it…" she sputtered, obviously distressed. Kagome blinked. "You… and… Hojo…?" Ayumi managed to finish, looking very upset.

The poor miko's eyes went wide in shock. "No! No no no no! Absolutely not!" she cried as she frantically waved her hands negatively.

Eri leaned in closer to eyeball her friend. "So… were you really pregnant or not?"

Blushing, Kagome stood up. "Well, hai. I… I had twins- a boy and a girl."

Yuka raised a skeptical eyebrow. "You don't look like you were pregnant. You look the same as before."

"Except for her chest- she's really gotten bigger," Eri added, pointing to the aforementioned attributes. "Maybe she really was."

Absolutely mortified at the current turn the subject had taken, Kagome headed for the house, her three friends following closely behind. "Look… let's go in the house, and you can see them for yourself." _Thank Kami it's not after sunset…_

Mrs. Higurashi looked up from the evening meal she was preparing. "Oh, hello girls! I see you found Kagome with no problems." She smiled merrily. "I was busy changing Inusouta's diaper before and couldn't come to the door right away."

Kagome's three friends blinked in unison. "Inu… souta?" they echoed.

Kagome nodded. "Inusouta. And his sister's name is Izayoi." She turned back to her mother. "Are the twins awake, Mom?"

She smiled as she turned back to the food. "Hai. I put Inusouta in the bouncer and Izayoi is in the swing. As long as they can see each other, they're happy."

"Who's watching them?"

"Grandpa."

Kagome winced. Inuyasha wasn't going to like that. She led her friends into the living room that looked as if it had been taken over by baby equipment. Looking carefully around the corner, she half expected to see her grandfather chanting and putting o-fudas on her children.

Instead, much to her surprise, her grandfather sat on the floor between the twins, regaling them with one of the endless number of stories about the shrine and its history.

Much relieved, she stepped around the corner with her friends. "Hi, Grandpa. How are you holding up?"

The old man beamed up at his granddaughter. "Marvelously! These two will make fine heirs to the Higurashi shrine!"

Smiling, Kagome reached down and plucked her daughter out of the swing. She turned back to her friends. "Guys, this is Izayoi, my daughter."

Izayoi stared up at the three newcomers with her bright gold eyes.

The three girls leaned in closely, staring at the little girl. Eri glanced up at Kagome. "She's got some really… unusual… eyes, doesn't she?"

Kagome mentally sighed. "She gets her beautiful eyes from her father." She turned and indicated Inusouta, who was now being held by his great-grandfather. "Inusouta has the same eyes."

Three gazes snapped to the little boy's identical golden eyes. Ayumi straightened up, looking confused. "If… Hojo isn't the father… then… who…?"

"Oi, Kagome! Wench, where are my pups? That senile old man better not be near 'em!"

Wincing, Kagome turned toward the sound of the grumpy hanyou. "The twins are in here, and my grandfather has been taking _very_ good care of them!"

"_Nani?_ Woman, I know I didn't hear you right." Inuyasha stormed into the living room, clad in his "modern" clothes consisting of a red t-shirt (naturally) and a pair of normal blue jeans. His feet were bare as always, and a red baseball hat covered his ears.

Eyeing her mate coolly, Kagome spoke quietly. "Did you get the groceries for Mom like she asked?"

"Don't go changing the subject! Why is that old geezer holding my pup?"

Mrs. Higurashi poked her head around the corner. "Don't worry, Kagome. He got everything I needed." Smiling once more, she disappeared again.

Inuyasha turned back to Grandpa and Kagome, barely taking note of the three ningen females staring at him in mute fascination. "See? Now, gimme my pup, old man, before I _Kaze no Kizu_ your ancient ass!"

Kagome glared at him. "Inuyasha! Don't talk to Grandpa like that! He took very good care of the twins so I could relax for a minute and Mom could start dinner. Why do you have to be like this?"

Ayumi snapped her fingers. "Inuyasha! I knew it! I thought he looked familiar! Those lavender stripes really threw me off." The three girls turned to Kagome. "He's the two-timer, right? The violent one that has the other girlfriend?"

Inuyasha choked.

Eri leaned in close to stare at the flustered hanyou-in-modern-clothing. "So when did you two get married?"

Inuyasha made a whimpering sound as he tried to back out of the room.

Yuka looked at Kagome. "Why didn't you tell us? We would've come!" She stole a glance at the panicking hanyou. "Even if you did marry a make-up wearing two-timer…"

Inuyasha looked around frantically, spied his son watching him from Grandpa's arms, raced over and snatched the baby from the old man's embrace, and escaped out of the room before anyone could blink.

"Hey! You don't race off with a baby like that, young man!" her grandpa yelled as he chased after the hanyou and the baby.

Kagome stared after her mate. _What was up with _that? "Um, guys? We… Inuyasha and I… we didn't get married." Izayoi whimpered, noticing that her brother wasn't around.

"_What?_" came the collective shout.

Yuka looked angry. "So Mr. Violent-Two-Timer knocked you up and wouldn't even marry you!"

Eri shook her head. "Wonder if his other girlfriend got pregnant too…"

Kagome blinked in confusion. "Um… the other… girl… is kinda… dead."

Immediately they looked contrite. "G-gomen…"

The young mother smiled uncertainly. "D-don't worry about it." _No need for them to know all the details…_ "Anyway, Inuyasha and I are… well, _mated_… which I think means we're married according to his family's laws."

Ayumi looked very much relieved. "I knew he wouldn't do anything bad to you, Kagome. It's obvious he loves you and your babies very much."

Kagome smiled, genuinely at ease for the first time since her friends had stopped by. "Arigatou, Ayumi. It feels good to hear that from someone other than my mother."

Her friends giggled. Izayoi, who had remained silent all this time, managed a tiny giggle of her own.

The four girls gazed at the little baby in amazement. Kagome held up the tiny girl at eye level, regarding her with motherly pride. "Wow… that's the first time she's laughed…"

Ayumi sighed happily. "I wish Hojo and I could…" she trailed off, blushing furiously at the sudden attention from Kagome.

"Ayumi! You and Hojo are a…?" she exclaimed. The curly-haired girl blushed deeper.

"Hai… well, he asked me out a while ago… since he hadn't seen you in so long. We started out as friends, but now… we're a couple."

Fixing her other two friends with a stare, Kagome looked shocked. "And you two knew? And didn't tell me?"

Yuka raised an eyebrow. "You didn't tell us about your 'mating' or your pregnancy."

Kagome chuckled. "Touché."

---------------------------------

Her three friends bid their farewells to Mrs. Higurashi, Kagome, and Izayoi (the menfolk were still AWOL) as they left the shrine.

"So Ayumi and Hojo are an item now… that's wonderful," Mrs. Higurashi said cheerfully. "I was really worried how he would take the news about you and Inuyasha."

Kagome rolled her eyes at her mother. "I'd be more worried how Inuyasha would take me _telling _Hojo the news about me and Inuyasha."

Her mother chuckled as she lifted Izayoi from her daughter's arms. "He's just overprotective because he loves you so much."

"Hai, wench, and don't you forget it!" Inuyasha jumped down from Goshinboku with Inusouta held tightly in his arms.

Kagome glared at her mate as Mrs. Higurashi took Izayoi inside the house. "I _know_ I did _not_ just see you jump down from a _tree_ with _my son_!"

"Keh! He's _my_ pup, woman. And he likes being in trees just like I do."

"_My_ son is barely a month old and is _not going to be in a tree, **period**!_"

"_My_ pup is _much_ stronger than you and will be in a tree with me as much as he wants!"

Kagome reached over, snatched Inusouta out of his father's arms, and whirled away, yelling "_osuwari!_" at the top of her lungs.

WHAM! The grumpy hanyou was eating dirt for dinner yet again.

_Of all the dirty…_ Inuyasha managed to pry his head out of the ground to glare after his retreating mate and son. "You _better_ run, wench! When I get out of this hole…!"

"When you get out of that hole, you _still_ won't be taking _my_ son into any trees!"


	25. Chapter 25

**Chapter 25- Konnichiwa! Hai, I am back! Almost completely clean bill of health, so I should be able to keep up with my fanfictions (barring any writer's block). Thank you so much to everyone who reviewed!**

"I don't care, Inuyasha. I'm going to see Sango and Miroku and everyone and I'm taking my children with me!"

The silver-haired hanyou stood stubbornly in front of the door to the well-house, his arms folded inside his fire-rat haori and his scowl even darker than usual. "Like hell you will, wench! My pups stay _here_, in _this_ time, until they're older!"

"So- you can take them up into trees, but I can't take them to meet Sango and Miroku?" she retorted, matching his glare with one of her own. Her usual yellow backpack was stuffed to the gills with supplies and she had one twin in each arm, who were watching their father with bewildered expressions. Minako stood silently by her mother's side.

He closed his eyes and nodded once as if acknowledging her deference to his "dominance." "Now you're getting it."

A vein throbbed in her forehead, making Inuyasha crack open an eye to regard his mate.

"_Osuwari_!" WHAM!

"I'll see you when I get back," she said nonchalantly as she stepped over his prone form and entered the well-house.

Minako followed her mother, gazing back innocently at her father. "Bye-bye, Papa! Go to see Aunt Sango!"

Inuyasha managed to free one of his eyes to gaze after them as they descended the steps to the Bone-Eater's Well. "Don't you _dare_ jump in that well…!" he growled into the dirt.

With a flash of soft pink, she and their children disappeared into the well.

"Dammit!" he snarled, trying to force himself up and out of the subjugation spell.

----------------------

Shippou kept hopping up and down as Kagome, Minako, and the twins neared Kaede's hut. "I missed you so much, Kagome! I kept checking the well to see if you were going to come back, but you never did! But now you're here!"

The young miko smiled at the kit. "Hai, Shippou. I'm here. And these two are getting awfully heavy. Can you let Grandma Kaede know we're here?"

"Sure!" He jumped up once more and raced for Kaede's hut, which was only a few yards away.

Once she had reached Kaede's hut, she crouched down to lay her babies on the grass so she could get the blasted backpack off her. _Shouldn't have packed so much…_ Minako sat down next to her sister and began twitching her little black ears to entertain the infant.

"Kagome!" came a cheerful voice from above her. She glanced up to see Kaede smiling broadly at her. "It's so good to see ye and Minako again! And to finally meet your new babes!"

Kagome grinned proudly. "This is Inusouta, and this is Izayoi. They're about two months old now."

Kaede picked up Inusouta and gazed at him in wonder. "Such a handsome boy he is! With his father's golden eyes, I see."

"Hai. Izayoi has the same ones."

The old miko examined the little girl in Kagome's arms. "Indeed. I thought their hanyou blood would come through a little stronger, though. These two look to be completely human."

"Oh, they're hanyou," Kagome replied with a smile. "They turn hanyou at night, then revert to human during the day."

"That's a pretty neat trick," Miroku remarked as he and a very pregnant Sango appeared by her side.

"Sango! Miroku!" Kagome cried. She gave her friend a hug, careful of her extended belly, then stepped back to regard the happy woman mischievously. "I told you that kit would work!"

Miroku beamed. "And we've never been happier. I can only hope for a healthy child."

"I'm sure he or she will be," Kagome replied. "Any preferences?"

Sango rolled her eyes. "Miroku and Inuyasha made a bet that if it is a boy, Inuyasha will baby-sit the baby within one month of its birth so we can have a night free. If it's a girl, Miroku will watch Minako and your twins for a night."

"This I gotta see. Inuyasha baby-sitting? When monkeys fly to the moon," Shippou snorted.

Kagome coughed delicately. "Actually, Shippou, they did send a monkey to the moon. That's old news in my era."

Shippou just rolled his eyes. "I'll believe it when I see it."

Minako wandered shyly over to Sango and gazed up at her with bright blue eyes. "Aunt Sango? Yoo miss Mina?"

Sango knelt down carefully so she was closer to Minako's height. "Of course I did, Minako. I missed you and your mama and papa very much." She opened her arms as the little hanyou gave her a big hug. "It's so good to see you again."

Minako pulled back slightly and patted Sango's large belly. "Aunt Sango have be-be too?"

The expectant mother looked startled, then smiled warmly. "Yes, Minako. Aunt Sango and Uncle Miroku are going to have a baby too."

The little girl looked up at Miroku. "Unka Roku have be-be?" She walked over to Miroku, reached up on her tiptoes, and patted his flat stomach through his robes. "No… Unka Roku no have be-be…"

Sango smothered a laugh as Miroku choked. "No, honey. Uncle Miroku's baby is here," she explained as she patted her very round belly.

Her little blue eyes grew big and round in amazement. "Ohhhh," she said, nodding. "Aunt Sango be-be and Unka Roku be-be." With that cleared up, she patted Sango's belly again. "Hi, be-be! I'm Mina!"

Kagome couldn't hold it in any more. She burst out laughing, which in turn caused Sango to start giggling and even Kaede was chortling.

Miroku tried to maintain a stoic demeanor as he helped Sango to her feet. It was quite difficult, though. The child was absolutely priceless.

Izayoi began to fuss and Kagome made soothing noises. "They need to be fed. Kaede, may I use your hut to nurse them?"

"Of course."

Miroku stepped forward. "I'd be more than happy to assist you in settling the babies to nurse, Kagome," he offered, that familiar look on his face.

_BONK!_ "Hentai," Sango muttered as she hit her husband over the head and pulled him away by his ear.

Minako watched them walk away, concentrating on something. She turned and looked up at her mother, who was getting ready to enter Kaede's hut. "Hentai?" she echoed in all innocence.

Kagome choked as she walked over, grasped the child's hand and led her into the hut. "Never mind that word, Minako. It's only for Aunt Sango to say, okay?"

The little hanyou brightened. "Okay, Mama."

She sat down next to her mother as Kagome settled to feed Izayoi. "Unka Roku is Aunt Sango's hentai," she said cheerfully.

Kaede laughed. "Oh, that one will be a handful, she will."

Kagome shook her head in defeat. "Must be the wolf in her."

-------------------

Inuyasha watched from the safety of a nearby tree. He didn't want to be caught with another _osuwari_ command that would have him digesting dirt for another day. He kept a watchful eye on his mate and his pups as they reunited with their friends.

He almost jumped out of the tree when Miroku offered to help Kagome nurse the twins, with the intent of shoving Tetsusaiga up the ex-monk's ass for his audacity. Luckily Sango was able to take her mate in hand.

Once Kagome had disappeared inside the old hag's hut with the children, Inuyasha relaxed slightly. _They're safe. They're inside, and there's no youkai around._

He hopped down from the tree silently and began to tiptoe toward Kaede's hut- hopefully, without being seen.

"Inuyasha! What are you doing here? I thought Kagome left you to rot in her era!" Shippou's too-loud voice surprised the edgy hanyou and nearly sent his hair standing on end.

"Shippou, you baka!" he growled as he thumped the kit on the head for his trouble. "Keep your damn mouth shut!"

Immediately the mat covering the door was pulled aside to reveal a little wolf hanyou. "Papa! Papa!" Minako squealed as she launched herself at her father.

"Shhh! Keep it down, pup!" he shushed the black-haired girl digging her tiny claws into the material covering his belly.

"I know you're there, Inuyasha," came the coolly distant voice of his mate from within the hut. "You might as well come inside and take a load off."

He stepped inside, making it look like he wanted to do anything _but_. "Keh. I don't need to 'take a load off.'"

Kagome looked calmly up at her glowering mate. "Then I guess I'll just have to give this ramen I just made to Shippou."

"Like hell you will." He snatched the cup out of Kagome's hand. It never failed to amaze him what she could accomplish while nursing his pups. With one hand she was able to pour the hot water into that little cup of instant noodles without spilling a drop. She was also able to change the other twin's diaper while nursing by laying the other baby on the floor and changing it one-handed. Ah, the miracles that are motherhood…

"Ye know that there are still the few remaining jewel shards ye need to find, Inuyasha," Kaede reminded him, breaking him out of his ramen-focused concentration.

Golden eyes blinked as if bored. "No kidding, hag. But Kagome isn't going anywhere until my pups are weaned."

"And how long might that be?"

He gave her an irritated glare. "When I say so."

Kagome scowled at her mate. "Excuse me, but don't _I_ have a say in how long I'll nurse the twins?"

"Nope."

"I had already decided on weaning the babies when they're six months old- that's when my mother stopped nursing me and my brother," Kagome replied.

"Keh! Good luck."

"What's _that_ supposed to mean?"

His very tone indicated that she should know better. "Only that in another month or so they'll get their teeth." Then he gave her a very _naughty_ grin, meant only for her. "But if you can stand to have _my_ fangs on you, then their tiny little ones shouldn't bother you at all…"

Blushing furiously at his bold behavior, Kagome looked down at Inusouta, who had traded places with his sister and was now having his lunch. "Will they be able to eat solid foods then? I just thought it was a little early for them to be switching like that."

Inuyasha snorted. "My pups are hanyou- they'll progress much faster than ningen babies. They'll be just like Minako. Maybe a little behind her, because they're half hanyou, but still more advanced than that lecherous monk's kid will be."

"Inuyasha! That's not a very nice thing to say!"

He shrugged. "It's just the truth."

Minako crawled into her father's lap as he put aside his now-empty cup of ramen. "Papa?"

"What, pup?"

"Whatza hanyoo?"


	26. Chapter 26

**Chapter 26**

Inuyasha exchanged a glance with Kagome, who shrugged as if to say "_You_ explain it."

He looked down at his adorable adopted daughter and twitched his ears nervously. "Well, pup," he began, "a hanyou… well, a hanyou is…"

Kagome snorted.

Giving his mate a glare that promised retribution later, he took a deep breath and started again. "A hanyou is someone who is half youkai and half human."

Innocent blue eyes blinked up at him. "Yoo-kai?"

Shippou chortled.

Thinking quickly, Inuyasha grabbed the kitsune by his tail and held him up to Minako. "Here, pup. Shippou is a youkai, okay?" Shippou squirmed and protested, trying to punch Inuyasha in vain.

Brisk nod. "Okay."

"And you know what humans are, right?" He dropped Shippou on his head unceremoniously. The poor kit glared at Inuyasha before hiding on the other side of Kagome, away from the violent hanyou.

Grin. "Yup."

"Well, when a youkai and a human have a baby, it's called a hanyou."

Minako scrunched up her little face in concentration as she digested this new information, her little ears twitching like radars. "Yoo-kai and hoo-man have be-be. Be-be is hanyoo."

"You got it." Inuyasha smirked, looking quite proud of himself.

"How yoo-kai and hoo-man make be-be?"

Inuyasha fell over.

Kagome decided it was time to step in. "Sweetie, hanyous are very special because they were chosen by their parents to be made. No hanyou is born that wasn't planned."

Minako looked thoughtfully at her mother. "Mina is special? Mina is hanyoo?"

Inuyasha recovered. "Hai, pup. Mina is very special. Not only were you chosen by the ones who gave you life, but Mama and I chose you for our very own."

Tears sprung into the bright blue eyes gazing at him. "Papa wanted Mina?"

"Very much, pup."

The little hanyou glomped her father and gave him a big wet kiss on the cheek, leaving a wet mark on his pale lavender crest. "I love you, Papa."

Inuyasha had to blink back uncharacteristic tears. He had never heard those words from his little girl before. "I love you too, wolf-girl," he replied gruffly, calling her by his special endearment intended just for her.

Kagome wiped away a tear. Shippou snorted in disgust. "He's really gone soft," the little kit muttered.

The silver-haired hanyou glared daggers at the kitsune. "Say that again and I'll reacquaint you with Tetsusaiga." Shippou yelped and hid behind Kagome again.

Kaede handed the bundle that was Izayoi into Inuyasha's arms. "Here, boy. Take care of your other daughter- it will keep ye from beating the poor kit senseless."

"Keh!" But Inuyasha accepted his other daughter willingly. Mina scooted over enough to let her baby sister share her father's lap.

"Iza be-be?" she asked, gazing into wide golden eyes of the baby.

"Izayoi," he corrected. Minako scrunched up her nose at him.

"Iza."

"Iza_yoi_."

"Iza."

Inuyasha rolled his eyes. Kagome chuckled as she finished burping their son. "She won't say Inusouta, either."

Minako grinned at her mother. "Inu."

Her father snorted lightly. "Inusouta."

"Inu."

"Inu_souta_."

She giggled. "My Inu!"

Inuyasha sighed in defeat. Kagome laughed out loud. "Give her time, Inuyasha. She'll get it."

"Can't believe she's calling her own brother _Dog_…" he muttered under his breath.

-------------------

Miroku slammed into the hut, making all of the residents jump a good six inches in the air. Seven pairs of eyes stared at the ex-monk in wonder and confusion.

"What's wrong?" Kagome asked, suddenly concerned. Inuyasha could smell panic and excitement radiating from the monk.

"S-Sango," he stammered. His violet eyes were wide. "Baby…"

Kagome immediately stood up. "What? Is she okay? Is she bleeding?"

Miroku managed to shake his head slightly. His gaze was still a little wild. "The baby… it's coming… _now._"

"_NANI_?" Kagome cried. She thought Sango would still have another month to go at least. "Are you sure?"

The flustered man nodded shakily. "Pain… she's hurting… and there's some sort of liquid…"

The young miko handed Inusouta over to Inuyasha and raced out the door, heading for Miroku and Sango's hut. Inuyasha glanced down at his now-full arms. He had Inusouta in his right arm, Izayoi in his left, and Minako was nestled comfortably between them on his lap.

Miroku was gazing after Kagome as if in shock. "You might consider following her," Inuyasha pointed out wryly. "After all, it _is_ your pup being born."

The poor man snapped out of his stupor. "Of course! Sango!" he cried as he followed Kagome to their hut. "Sango, I'm coming!"

Inuyasha shook his head. "This is going to be one hell of a day."

-------------------------

Kagome checked on Sango as best she could. There was almost no blood- a very good sign- but it was quite obvious she was in active labor. Her contractions were intense and very close together and her water had broken almost half an hour ago.

"I was just making some dinner, when I felt something wet- like I had to go to the bathroom," she explained breathlessly between contractions. "When I looked down, my clothes were soaked. Miroku panicked and went looking for you."

The young miko looked confused. "Why come and get me? I'm not a midwife."

Sango smiled tiredly at her friend. "Because you've done this before- and I'd much rather have my best friend here than some strange woman I don't know."

Kagome smiled back. "Arigatou, Sango. I'm going to go talk to Kaede and Inuyasha for a moment." She grinned mischievously. "Don't go anywhere."

Sango snorted wryly. "As if I could."

Miroku paced outside the hut, looking beyond worried. "What's wrong? Is she okay? What's wrong with the baby? Is the baby okay?" he blurted out when he spied Kagome.

She patted his arm reassuringly. "Don't worry. She'll be fine. I just need to talk to Kaede and Inuyasha and make sure the kids are okay." She smiled again and entered Kaede's hut, where Inuyasha sat buried in children.

"'Bout time you got back, wench," he grunted. "I'm drowning in pups."

She chortled. "And you're going to keep drowning- unless you want to do me a favor."

"Anything. Just save me."

"You need to go find the midwife and let her know that Sango is in labor. Bring her here, but don't let her go inside. Sango wants _me_ to help deliver the baby, not the midwife."

"I wouldn't want some strange woman delivering my pups either," he retorted. "It was bad enough having all those strange women around you when ours were born. At least I knew the one doing the actual work."

"_I_ was the one doing all the work!" she cried indignantly.

"Exactly."

Kagome turned to Shippou, who was sitting quietly in the corner furthest from Inuyasha. "Shippou, can you watch the kids for us? The twins should sleep for the next few hours, so they'll be easy, but Minako might be a handful."

The little kit puffed out his chest in pride. "Don't worry about me, Kagome. Minako and I get along great."

Minako giggled as she hopped off her father's lap and glomped Shippou, giving him a huge hug. The poor kitsune flushed deep red. "Mina play with Shippou!" she cried.

Inuyasha was now able to lay the twins down on a sleeping mat nearby. "Let's go, then," he said, turning toward the door. "Oi, runt! Take care of my pups or I'll kill you!" he hollered as Kagome pulled him outside.

"I've got to get back to Sango. You go get the midwife."

"Hai, wench. As you command." He mock-bowed to her and leapt away.

She rolled her eyes as she reached Sango's hut. Miroku was nowhere to be seen, so he must have gone inside.

Poking her head in, she took in the situation at a glance. Miroku was, for lack of a better term, freaking out in the corner, and Sango looked ready to commit murder- or at least, a neutering.

Kagome sighed as she entered completely. He could face down hordes of youkai and the threat of being sucked into his own Kazaana, but he couldn't handle his wife giving birth. "Miroku, you need to calm down. You're making it worse for Sango."

The monk blinked and straightened up immediately. "Hai, Kagome. Gomen nasai."

The young miko lifted Sango's blanket that covered her bare legs and checked the situation. She could see that the baby was starting to crown- it would be born very soon now. "Sango, this is it. Get ready to push, okay?"

The sweat-drenched woman nodded wearily. Miroku moved to her shoulders, looking at Kagome somewhat helplessly. "Miroku, you need to prop her shoulders up so she can push better."

Sango looked confused for a moment. "But the women in my village- they would only give birth lying down flat."

Kagome snorted as she pushed Sango's knees up and to the side, giving her room to maneuver. "Trust me- this is _much_ easier."

"Now, I need you to push when the contraction hits, okay? Miroku, count slowly to ten. While he's counting, Sango, you need to hold that pushing, okay? Push for a full ten seconds." With their nods, she turned her attention back to the baby.

"One… two… three… four…" Miroku counted softly in Sango's ear as she lay propped up on his knees.

Inuyasha chose that moment to enter the hut. "I got the midwife- she's standing by outside…" he said before he realized what he had walked in on. "Holy dogs…" he muttered, his face going red and his golden eyes glazing over.

Miroku glared at the hanyou. "_What_ are you staring at, Inuyasha!" he yelled.

Inuyasha backed up quickly. "_Shit_- I'm outta here." He whirled around and ran out of the hut.

Kagome sighed. "Sango, again. You're almost there. One, two, three…"

With a little whimper, Sango managed to push the baby's head out. Kagome grinned and used a nearby cloth to wipe off the baby's face. She ordered Sango to push again.

The tired woman pushed with all her taijiya might, and managed to deliver the rest of her baby with one last effort.

Kagome grinned broadly as she gently wiped the newborn in her lap. Then she lifted the crying baby up to show Miroku and Sango.

"Congratulations! You have a very healthy daughter."

Sango smiled in tired delight. Miroku inwardly groaned.

The new mother looked at her mate in confusion. "I thought you wanted a girl?"

"I did, but now I have to baby-sit Kagome and Inuyasha's litter for a night," he moaned.


	27. Chapter 27

**Chapter 27**

Miroku grinned over at Inuyasha, who was giving Izayoi a bottle. "Daughters are great, aren't they?"

"As long as you keep them away from lechers like you," the hanyou replied.

Miroku actually looked offended. "Come now, Inuyasha. You know I've reformed my ways- Sango is the only woman for me." He grinned down at the tiny black-haired girl sucking on a bottle in his arms. "Of course, Hidama here is my special angel…"

Inuyasha held back a grin. He knew perfectly well how the ex-monk felt- he experienced the same thing when his pups were born. Granted, he loved both of them, but his little girl was certainly something special. _Daddy's little girl…_

Miroku's gaze lifted from staring at his violet-eyed daughter to rest on Sango and Kagome, who were watching Minako and Shippou swim at the edge of the river. Kagome was nursing Inusouta while Sango shared stories from the taijiya village.

"How long did you have to wait until Kagome was able to… continue marital relations again?" he asked nonchalantly. Inuyasha choked.

"NANI?" he cried, his ears going flat and his face going beet red. "Why should I tell you that?"

"Because I miss my Sango," Miroku replied with a forlorn sigh. "I know it's only been a couple weeks since Hidama was born and I don't want to hurt Sango. So, naturally, I thought I'd ask you, since obviously you and Kagome must have… resumed… previous activities."

Inuyasha groaned. He wasn't about to tell the lecher that he and Kagome still hadn't mated since she had the pups 10 weeks ago. "It's none of your business."

Still Miroku pressed. "But you could at least give me a point of reference," he pleaded. "How long am I looking at- four weeks? Six weeks?"

Izayoi squirmed, indicating that she was finished with her bottle and needed to be burped. Inuyasha lifted the little gold-eyed girl up to his shoulder and gently began burping her. He fixed a neutral look on his bright red face. "Maybe you should be asking Sango and not me," he replied tightly.

Miroku sighed. "Very well. Since you're being so unhelpful, I'll just have to wait and let her come to me." He grinned lecherously. "Kami knows she can't resist me…"

The poor hanyou had had enough. He stood up quickly, with Izayoi still on his shoulder, and speed-walked over to where the girls were watching the kids.

Sango looked up as Inuyasha approached. "Oh, hello, Inuyasha! Is Miroku bothering you again?"

The red-faced hanyou nodded brusquely. "As usual. Can't open his mouth without lecherous thoughts coming out."

Kagome gave her mate a grin. "You poor thing."

"Damn straight. Monk ought to realize he's a father now and can't be thinking hentai thoughts anymore."

Sango giggled as she stood up. "Well, I'm going to go back and see how Hidama is eating. That strange machine you brought from your time is really something, Kagome."

The young miko smiled. "Breast pumps are a mother's best friend."

Nodding, the taijiya turned away and headed back to her husband and daughter.

Kagome nudged Inuyasha, who was still patting the back of a now-sleeping Izayoi. "Hey- what did he ask you that has got you so red?" she whispered.

He grunted.

"Oh, come on. Spill! He had to have said something really bad to get _you_ this embarrassed."

He looked away, grunting again. "He asked how long I waited before mating you again after the pups were born," he mumbled.

Kagome blinked. "Say what?" She lifted her head to look at the sky, pondering. "But we haven't… not since the twins were born…"

"No shit. But I wasn't about to tell _him_ that."

She lifted Inusouta up to her shoulder and began burping him gently. "That's funny, though," she mused. "Why _haven't_ we?"

He choked, his eyes practically bugging out of his head. "Wh-why are you asking me?"

"Because _you_ are the 'dominant male,'" she reminded him in amusement.

"Keh! I just don't want to hurt you."

"Oh, Inuyasha. You won't hurt me any more. I've been healed for over a month now." Her face was full of compassion.

Minako ran up to her parents, her little body clad in a bright pink swimsuit adorned with a big white bow on the back. She shook herself in a remarkably Inuyasha-like manner, flicking water off her ears when she was done. "Papa! You come watch Mina swim?"

"Sure thing, wolf-girl."

Shippou watched her carefully from his spot in the water, ready to come to her aid if need be. Minako made a few practice swings before jumping feet-first into the knee-deep water, creating a fair-sized splash.

"Good job," he called. His golden eyes shifted to his mate, who remained sitting comfortably with Inusouta snoozing on her shoulder. She gave him a Look.

"Maybe we should go home? Maybe see if your mom is willing to watch the kids for the afternoon?" he murmured hopefully.

She gave him a seductive grin. "Sounds like a plan to me," she replied softly.

Inuyasha jumped to his feet gracefully, so smoothly Izayoi didn't even stir from her nap on his shoulder. He offered a hand to his mate, who got up much slower. Her brown eyes were sparkling as her gaze locked with his for a long moment.

Minako stopped splashing Shippou and looked up at her parents. "Go home now?"

"Hai, wolf-girl. We're going home," her father replied, never taking his eyes off Kagome. Shippou snorted wryly.

"I'll tell Sango and Miroku not to expect you back for a while," the young kit offered in amusement. Inuyasha gave him a glare but didn't reply.

Minako shook herself off again and then skipped merrily up to her mother. "Okay! Mina ready! Lez go!"

--------------------------

Inuyasha grabbed Izayoi and Inusouta and leapt nimbly out of the well, pausing briefly to open the sliding door of the well-house before checking to make sure Kagome was able to climb out with Minako all right.

"There has _got_ to be an easier way to do this," Kagome muttered as she struggled to climb the ladder that her grandfather had placed against the edge of the well for her benefit. Minako clung to her mother's back like a little monkey.

Inuyasha chuckled. "Maybe we just shouldn't have any more pups. We're outnumbered as it is."

Kagome remained silent as she managed to climb out of the well. She knelt down for Minako to dismount and took the little hanyou's hand to walk her up the steps and toward the house. Inuyasha followed with the twins nestled comfortably in his arms.

Kagome's mother opened the sliding door of the house and hurried over to greet them. "Oh, Kagome! Inuyasha! I'm so glad you've returned safely!" She plucked Inusouta out of Inuyasha's arms and smiled happily at her grandchildren as a whole. "I was so worried about you!"

Inuyasha cleared his throat, his face turning red again. "Um, Mrs. Higurashi? Do you think… that maybe… you could watch the pups this afternoon? Kagome and I… need to take care of some things."

She smiled knowingly, a twinkle in her eye. "Of course, honey. I just baked some cookies that I believe are Minako's favorite…"

Minako's face lit up at once. "Choc-ate Chip?" she asked excitedly.

Kagome's mom winked at her daughter and son-in-law. "I guess chocolate isn't as bad for wolves as it is for dogs, eh?"

Kagome rolled her eyes as Inuyasha relinquished Izayoi into Mrs. Higurashi's other arm. "Just don't give her too many cookies, okay Mom?"

"Sure, sure. But what's the fun of having grandchildren if you can't spoil them?" She turned and headed back inside, with Minako skipping along ahead of her into the house.

Inuyasha watched his pups leave with mixed emotions. He wanted some time alone with his mate, but still… he already missed them.

Kagome eyed Inuyasha. "Second thoughts?"

He harrumphed. "Just don't want her filling them up with sweets."

She sidled up next to him and linked her arm through his walking slowly with him towards Goshinboku. "Don't worry. Mama will take perfect care of them." She grinned at him. "Now… where did you have in mind?"

He blinked at her. "Where?"

"Of course '_where?_'! We can't just do it here in the middle of the yard!" She scowled at him.

Fiddling with one ear, he looked up at the great god tree, pondering. "I hadn't really thought that far ahead."

Kagome sighed in exasperation. "Maybe this was a bad idea."

"No! No, Kagome, this was a great idea! A _fantastic_ idea, believe me!"

"Then figure out where we can go!"

This time he scratched his head with a long claw. "Well, we can't go back to the village- I don't want to be 500 years away from my pups. We can't stay here, because your mom and the pups are just outside the door. Unless you want to go into the woods again?"

She wrinkled her nose at him. "I'd prefer not to have dirt and bugs in my hair, thanks."

"Oh, come on. Was it really that bad?"

"It took me three showers to get all the yuck out of my hair after that afternoon."

He sighed. "Then where can we go?"

Kagome raised an eyebrow at him. "This is harder than we thought, huh?"

The poor hanyou snorted. "Who would've thought it would be so difficult to fool around with my mate?"

"'Fool around'?"

He blushed. "Well… what would you call it?"

She leaned against him, her eyes drowsy. "Making love."

This time he wrinkled _his_ nose. "Sounds gay."

Kagome leaned back, affronted. "Sounds better than 'fooling around'! That sounds like something high school kids do!"

"Well, you're a high school kid, aren't you? So it fits!"

"We're married with three children! I'd say it doesn't!"

"Stubborn wench!"

"Ignorant baka!"

He paused and blinked at her as if realizing something. "Wait. You said we're married. We're not. At least, not according to human rules."

She blinked back. "So? I thought you only cared about youkai rules."

He shrugged. "Well, I just thought… that maybe… we should get married… you know- a traditional human wedding."

His mate stared at him. "You're serious."

"Keh! Of course I am! I wouldn't have said anything otherwise."

She looked down at the ground, completely nonplussed. "I… I don't know what to say."

Inuyasha dug into his haori and pulled out a small box. Thrusting the little velvet navy blue container into her hands, he grunted. "You could try saying 'yes.'"

Kagome stared at the box. "What…?"

"Just open the damn thing!"

Slowly, she lifted the lid of the tiny box and gasped in shock. Nestled inside was a large, perfectly cut round solitaire diamond mounted on a simple gold ring. "Where in Kami's name did you get such a huge diamond?" she gasped.

"Duh! I made it, of course! It was Souta's idea a while ago to use Kongousouha to make diamonds, but I couldn't do it here in this time. So the last time I fought a youkai, I just picked up a couple stray diamond shards and had your mom take them to a jewel guy." He blushed lightly. "She's the one who had the best one made into a ring. I just asked her to do it for me."

Tears sprung to her eyes as she looked at the gorgeous ring. "This is too much… how many carats is this thing?"

"Carats?"

"How big is the diamond? Did Mom say?" she asked worriedly.

He scratched his ear. "Two? I think she said something about two," he replied slowly, concentrating.

"_Two _carats?" Her eyes nearly fell out of her head.

"Kami, wench! Can't you just say you'll marry me and put the damn thing on your finger?" he growled.

A tear slipped down her cheek as she slid the ring onto the ring finger of her left hand. The diamond sparkled brilliantly in the afternoon sunlight filtering through Goshinboku's leaves. She flung herself at him and hugged him tightly, almost sobbing in delight.

"Hai, Inuyasha! I'll marry you!"


	28. Chapter 28

**Chapter 28- Lemon Warning! Kinky stuff to follow! Enjoy!**

"Are you sure you're not just agreeing to marry me because of the diamond?" Inuyasha grumbled in her ear as she clung to him.

She sniffed. "Baka! Of course not! I'd marry you if you hadn't given me _any_ ring!"

"Good. As long as we're straight, then…"

He kissed her, deeply, passionately, underneath the flittering leaves of Goshinboku.

A slight tug on his hakama had him breaking the kiss with his mate and looking down at the culprit. Minako stood innocently next to him, her hand still clutching his hakama. "What are you doing out here, wolf-girl?" he asked, confused.

In answer, she held up an envelope. "Gamma tol' Mina give yoo."

Inuyasha took the proffered envelope and watched as his adopted daughter skipped back inside the house. Puzzled, he looked inside. A bunch of strange papers filled the envelope.

Kagome's eyes grew wide. "Holy Kami! Where did she get all that money?"

The hanyou raised an eyebrow at his mate. "Money? This doesn't look like any money I've ever seen."

She snatched the envelope out of his hands, staring in complete shock as she read the note inside. "'Dear kids- I took the liberty of selling off a couple of the diamonds that Inuyasha had given me and opened a savings account for you to help with my grandchildren's education. Here is some extra cash for you to use. Have a good time! Love, Mama.'"

Kagome looked up at Inuyasha, a rare sparkle in her eyes. "Do you know what this means?"

Blank golden eyes looked back at her. "No. What?"

In reply, she grabbed his hand, pulled him into the house, where her mother and the children were conveniently in the living room, completely unaware of their entry. Kagome dragged him upstairs to her room, where she tossed him a hat as she threw a suitcase on the bed and filled it with a change of clothes.

He eyed her as if she were mental. "What in all the hells are you doing?"

"Packing. We're going to a hotel."

"Ho… tell?" he repeated. "What's that?"

"It's like a fancy inn," she replied without looking up from her packing. She tossed in a small bright pink bag that she had gotten from her friends and closed the lid, zipping it shut. "And we'll be alone for the entire night."

He grinned at her, finally catching on. "Then let's get the hell out of here."

----------------------

Inuyasha stared in silent wonder at the spacious lobby of the posh hotel Kagome had found for them. Apparently the money in the envelope was enough to cover a night in this exclusive hotel with plenty left over.

His mate finished her business at the counter and returned to his side, all smiles. "You're gonna love this. I got us a whirlpool suite."

He raised an eyebrow. "Whirlpool?"

"It's kinda like an indoor hot spring," she explained, leading him to the stairs. She didn't trust his reaction to an elevator, so she assumed he'd rather climb. "You'll see."

On the fourth floor she led him down the opulent hallway to a door marked "415." She slid a little plastic card into the door handle and when it beeped, she opened the door.

They gaped in wonder at the breathtaking interior of the room. A huge king-size bed was situated against one wall, covered in a blood red satin coverlet, with a sliding door opening out onto a patio overlooking a lovely pool area. A fireplace was on the wall opposite the bed and there were fresh flowers in a vase on a chest of drawers.

A white, two-person hot tub was installed a few feet away from the bed, nestled against the outside wall of the bathroom.

"Nice," Inuyasha managed to comment. "Still, I prefer being in our own bed."

Kagome giggled as she went into the bathroom, hiding something behind her back. "Me too… I'll be right out, okay? Make yourself comfortable." She giggled again as she closed the door.

The hanyou snorted as he removed his hat and threw it on the chest of drawers next to the vase of flowers. Everything here seemed to be… very expensive. He felt a little out of place, but remembered it was where Kagome had wanted to go.

He grinned. Well, she said to get comfortable, didn't she? Tossing his fire-rat haori and undershirt on the floor, he paused with his hand on the ties to his hakama. Was that _giggling_ he kept hearing from the bathroom?

Suddenly he was worried. What did that wench have in store for him? Shrugging, he dropped the last of his clothing and climbed into the bed, hissing at the coldness of the fresh sheets.

The door to the bathroom opened and Kagome walked out. But what a transformation! She wore a black lace… thing… that hugged her generous curves- her breasts were still swollen from nursing the twins- with a matching scrap of lace covering her secret place. Thin straps of black encircled her hips, going around to her backside. Long black straps dangling from the top were hooked onto sheer black leggings he knew were called "nylons." Her feet were encased only in the nylons.

His golden eyes nearly popped out of his head. "Where in Kami's name did you get _that_?" he squeaked.

She grinned. "The girls bought it for me," she replied with a wink. "Don't you like it?" Slowly she turned, and he nearly hit the ceiling as he saw that her backside wasn't covered at all- the two thin straps leading from the scrap of lace in the front converged in the back with a third thin strap leading down the cleft between the perfect globes of her ass.

His reaction was immediate and drained all the blood from his head. "Fuck, Kagome…" he said in a very strangled voice. His hands were clutching the satin coverlet as if it were a life raft and his obvious erection was creating a tent in the sheets. The lavender crests on his cheeks became more noticeable.

Kagome turned back to him, that special sparkle in her eye. She noticed his body's reaction and gave him a naughty little grin as she climbed onto the bed and stalked him on all fours. Her swollen breasts pushed at the thin black lace trying feebly to restrain them, making them seem even larger. Her rear was up in the air and she looked like… well, like a dog sniffing out its mate.

Her position of prowling towards him nearly made him explode. He had wanted to mate with her- _Kami, _yes_-_ but he was ready to detonate just from looking at her in that tantalizing outfit!

She chuckled as she caught the expression on his face. "That's exactly what I had in mind, Inuyasha," she purred. She tugged the coverlet down to reveal his extremely naked and aroused body.

Kagome slid her hand up his thigh, noticing his shiver. "No claws tonight, itoshii," she whispered. "You're going to have to be very careful."

Inuyasha groaned. "Come on… can't I even slice that thing off of you? It looks like it'll take too damn long to figure out how to get you out of it."

Giving him a little smirk, she leaned down and gave his throbbing flesh a lick that went from base to velvet tip. "You don't really need to worry about that right now."

He nearly shot off the bed. "Oh, I think I do," he said in a very shaky, high-pitched voice. Where in all the hells did she learn _that_?

She gently grasped him, squeezing slightly as she looked up at him. "Inuyasha? Did you mean what you said earlier about… about not having any more babies?"

It took several moments of intense concentration to figure out what she was talking about. After all, he was pretty sure all the blood in his body had gone to the part in Kagome's sweet hands. "I… I thought… that… that it might be… f-for the best… right now," he managed to strangle out as she continued to stroke him.

Her face brightened. "So… maybe later? In a few years? When the twins are older?"

The poor hanyou blinked, still trying to understand her words through the fog her administrations were creating in his head. "S-sure. Yeah. Whatever you want. Now will you _please_ get up here?" he croaked.

In reply, Kagome slipped off the edge of the bed with that self-satisfied smirk on her face. Hooking her fingers under the thin black straps on her hips, she slid the pathetic scrap of lace off her legs and onto the floor, leaving him complete access. She still wore the lace top-thing and the nylons, but it created an erotic image that he was convinced he'd never get out of his head.

With the scrap of lace out of the way, he could scent her arousal as she crawled back on the bed. He gritted his teeth, fighting with his instincts as hard as he could to stop from throwing her down to the bed and mounting her instantly.

Kagome straddled his knees as she reached into her cleavage. Her musky scent hit him like a Bakuryuuha. He concentrated on watching her movements rather than her arousal.

She pulled a small, square, foil-wrapped object out from her cleavage with one hand as the other stroked his rock-hard member lightly. "What is _that_?" Inuyasha managed to ask.

"A way to prevent pregnancy," she replied as she opened the foil and pulled out a strange-looking circle. It smelled rubbery or some similar element mixed with chemicals and it made his nose wrinkle.

"No wonder. It stinks so bad it would make a guy run the other way."

She rolled her eyes. "Normal humans don't have your sensitive sense of smell. They aren't affected by any odor."

He watched her warily as she placed the thicker ring of the strange circle around the tip of his engorged shaft. It seemed to be a pouch of some kind, as there was a bubble of the bizarre material covering his flesh. She slid her hands down, unrolling the object down to the base of his penis, leaving him feeling like he was wearing some sort of glove.

Blushing, he glanced up at her skeptically. "And how, pray tell, does this work?"

Again she didn't answer. She scooted her hips up until she was straddling his, her warm, moist femininity rubbing against his erection.

He was amazed that he could still feel her heat and wetness through the item. When she grasped him and positioned him at her entrance, he held his breath, unsure of what she planned.

Quickly she lowered herself upon him, taking him deep inside her in one breathtaking motion.

The sensation was quite unlike it had been without the layer of rubbery substance between them. He couldn't feel her as much, so it helped to keep him from finishing too soon, as primed as he was.

He lay back on the bed with Kagome riding him, moving up and down in an increasing tempo. Her breasts bobbed with her motions, threatening to fall out of her lacy top and her head was thrown back in abandon, her long black hair cascading down her back. He gripped her hips, careful not to cut her with his claws as the intense pleasure grew.

Suddenly she stopped, panting. She looked down at him, her brown eyes dark with desire. Slowly she got off of him as he grumbled a protest.

Kagome raised an eyebrow at him as she got on her elbows and knees, her long black hair brushing the pillows and her rear exposed to his senses.

"Oh _ho_," he chuckled, getting the hint. Quickly he moved behind her, rubbing her already wet folds with the pad of his thumb, drinking in the heady scent of her.

He opened her with his fingers, guided the broad head of his erection to her entrance- and thrust deliberately and heavily home.

Filled her with one long, sure stroke that nearly pushed all the air out of her lungs.

His thighs were just outside hers, his groin to her bottom. He gripped her hips, withdrew a little way, then surged into her.

Inuyasha gasped as he felt her body tighten around him. Closed his golden eyes and savored the exquisite sensation of the firm curves of her bottom riding against him as he buried himself in her scalding heat, again and again and again.

He gripped both hands around her hips and held her still as, all restraint _long_ gone, he took all he wished- all she offered him.

His heart thundered, filled to bursting as he filled his senses with her. As, step by step, her body responded, as did his, wanting more, reaching further.

Releasing her hips, he leaned over her, ran his hands up and around, filling them with her lace-covered breasts, hot and swollen, releasing them from their lacy bindings, finding and squeezing her nipples until she cried out, until she sobbed his name over and over.

She'd become even more alive beneath him, riding his thrusts, meeting them with backwards movements of her own. He bent his head, nuzzled her hair aside, set his teeth to the tendon running along the curve of her neck, and nipped.

Licking where he had bit her, he nearly howled as she reacted, as on a final cry of his name her body rose beneath his and clenched tight, then imploded, fractured, throbbing as he drove relentlessly into her, deep into her soul once more.

Finally, he came, the convulsions of her inner muscles milking his own climax to the limit. He shuddered as she collapsed underneath him, causing him to land on top of her in a sweaty, well-satiated heap.

Regretfully, he pulled out, eyeing the strange thing covering his still-hard shaft. His seed was captured in the extra space at the tip, preventing it from entering his mate and possibly creating another pup.

Kagome glanced over at him, a well-loved look on her exhausted features. She carefully took a tissue and removed the used condom from him, wiping him off in the process. "Well?"

He gave her his famous "I'm-a-badass" grin. "Was definitely worth the wait."


	29. Chapter 29

**Chapter 29- oh my gosh… I'm almost done! One more chapter, I think, and then I'll start on the sequel! Millions of thanks to everyone who has reviewed and commented on this story- they were truly delightful! I hope to see you back here again for the next tale about the family of Inuyasha and Kagome. Arigatou, minna!**

"Look, Da-dee! Iza ish crawling!"

Inuyasha looked up from the peek-a-boo game he was playing with Inusouta. "Hai, wolf-girl. I see her."

Indeed, the tiny black-haired girl was managing to scoot herself along the soft grass fairly well- heading towards her mother, who was returning from a private conference with Sango.

"Wow! Look at Mama's big girl!" Kagome gushed as she scooped up the petite hanyou and gave her a big hug. "Pretty soon you'll be jumping through the forest with your Papa, won't you?"

"I'd take her now if you weren't such a worry-wart."

The miko rolled her eyes. "Don't give me that. You're too worried about running into demons while you're with them that you would never actually take them any further than the Bone Eater's Well or Goshinboku."

The silver-haired hanyou grunted. "What did Sango want anyway?" he grumbled, turning his attention back to his squirming son.

Kagome sighed. "Well… she… she needed… a pregnancy test."

"Nani? She just had her pup two and a half months ago!"

His mate shrugged. "Well, she still hasn't started her courses again… and she says she's been nauseous lately. She just wants to be safe than sorry."

"Keh! That monk'll be the sorry one if she turns out to be breeding again."

Izayoi squirmed to be set down on the grass again, so Kagome let her go as Minako raced over to play with her sister. "I doubt she is. I mean, it was so hard for her to get pregnant the first time- why would she end up pregnant again so soon after giving birth?"

A shriek coming from the woods had Inuyasha on his feet and Tetsusaiga drawn before Kagome could even move. "Kagome! Get the pups inside- _now_!"

She blinked. "That… sounded like Sango…" She scooped up a twin in each arm and motioned to Minako to follow her. "Go make sure she's safe, Inuyasha!"

He nodded and raced off toward the source of the cry. He bounded through the forest, jumping from tree branch to tree branch, looking for the youkai he was certain was attacking his friend.

Instead, he saw Sango, walking rather quickly back to the village. Stalking might be a better word. Fury radiated from her like a youkai's youki. He could practically _see_ it swirling around her as she stormed through the trees.

He glanced around, sniffing. He certainly didn't _smell_ any youkai… and if the cry had come from Sango, she certainly wasn't in any danger. Unless Miroku had done something inappropriate again, but then again, he _was_ married to her… he was allowed to grope her now.

The hanyou followed the taijiya back to the village, watching from a safe distance as she entered her hut. His ears flattened against his head as Sango's severely livid cry echoed through the walls of the hut.

"_Damn you, Miroku! You got me pregnant **again**_!"

"_Nani_?" Dead silence. "How, Sango? We only did it that one time- about three weeks ago, remember? How could you possibly be pregnant again?"

Inuyasha jumped down from the tree and cautiously walked over to his own hut, acting as if he wanted to keep himself unnoticed as he passed by Sango and Miroku's hut.

"I had Kagome bring me a test that can tell if you're pregnant- you remember those, don't you? _And it says I'm pregnant_!"

The monk sputtered as Inuyasha neared the door to his hut and safety. He tried to keep his ears flat against his head so he couldn't hear nearly as well, but with the ire in Sango's voice, it was nigh on impossible. "B-but… can't the test be _wrong_?"

"It's nearly 100 accurate, you baka sukebei! I _knew_ I shouldn't have let you touch me!"

Rustling sounds indicated that Miroku must have moved across the room. "Sango, itoshii- why are you so upset about this? Didn't you want to have more children?"

The scent of tears hit Inuyasha's nose as the sound of sniffling reached his ears. He paused. If that monk was making her cry… he couldn't stand a woman's tears. "I did… but not so soon! I mean, Hidama is still just a tiny baby! I'm still nursing her, for Kami's sake! I should be devoting my time to taking care of her, not worrying about nausea and stretch marks!"

A long pause. "So… you don't want this baby?" Miroku asked quietly.

Sango gasped. "Of course I _want_ it! I just didn't want it so _soon_!"

Another long pause. "What do you want to do about it?"

Sniffling. "…Go ahead with the pregnancy, of course. I have no other choice. I would never get rid of my own child."

Inuyasha had heard enough. Let them battle it out. He slipped into his hut to find his mate standing there with a rather irritated look on her face. "And just _where_ have _you_ been?"

He blinked innocently. "Um… fighting youkai?"

Brown eyes narrowed. "How come I didn't sense any youki?"

"I, err, blasted them before they could get close to the village."

Kagome let out a growl worthy of an inu-youkai's mate. "Don't lie to me! You were eavesdropping on Sango and Miroku, weren't you?"

"No, wait, Kagome! It wasn't like that!"

Kagome opened her mouth.

"_Osuwari_!" Minako yelled before her mother could say it.

Inuyasha winced before he realized his daughter had said it and not his mate. He and Kagome looked down at the grinning wolf-hanyou in surprise. Minako looked up at each of her parents, quite proud of herself. "What?" she said innocently.

Kagome blushed. "Maybe… I should stop doing that around her…"

"Keh! Ya think so, wench?"

-------------------------

Kagome patted Sango's shoulder as she tried to console her friend. "It'll be okay, Sango," she reassured the older woman. "You _did_ tell me you wanted to have more children."

The children were all peacefully asleep in their own beds and the adults were having a little pow-wow in Sango and Miroku's hut to discuss the "happy" news.

The taijiya shot her husband a Look as he pretended not to notice while stirring the cook pot. Then she softened and gave Kagome a little smile. "Hai… I still do."

Inuyasha raised an eyebrow. "So you're okay with this now?"

"I have to be. I already love this baby as much as I love Hidama."

The hanyou snorted. "If you and that hentai monk had used those smelly things Kagome and I have been using, you wouldn't be in this mess."

Kagome blushed furiously. "_Inuyasha_!"

"What? What did I say?"

Miroku shook his head as he continued to stir the cook pot's contents. "I will not use any sort of pregnancy-prevention-device, Inuyasha. It is wrong to play with Kami's plans like that."

Kagome looked at him, confused. "Plans?"

He nodded. "Obviously this child was meant to be created at this time, just as your babes were chosen to be created when they were. By using those strange things you have been utilizing, you are messing with destiny."

Kagome and Inuyasha exchanged a long glance. Were they really messing with their fates?

Sango agreed with her husband. "I was not happy about this at first, but Kami decided that this child would be created now and I am not one to argue if that is our fate."

The miko looked at her hands, abashed. "I-I never thought of it that way…"

Miroku tasted a bit of the broth that he had made for his stew-craving wife. "I am positively delighted that my beloved Sango and I are going to be blessed with another child so soon. She is the perfect mother and I have every faith in her abilities to handle this with devotion and aplomb."

Sango blushed. "Hush, houshi-sama…" she murmured, using the formal nickname she gave him when she was particularly emotional.

Inuyasha harrumphed. "So you're saying that we're trying to play Kami by preventing pregnancy the way we are?" he grumped, returning to the subject at hand.

Miroku gave a noncommittal shrug. "I cannot say one way or the other. I just know how I feel about it."

Kagome gave her friends a bright smile- too bright, the taijiya thought- as she stood up and left the hut, leaving her mate to watch after her.

"You need to go after her, Inuyasha," Sango urged. "Something is obviously bothering her."

He nodded. "Yeah, I kinda gathered that too. I'll go see what's up."

-------------------

He found her easily, sitting quietly by the softly burbling river, the gentle wind blowing through her black hair. "Oi, Kagome. What's wrong?"

The wind shifted slightly and he caught the scent of tears. _She's crying?_

Moving next to her, he crouched down into his usual four-point sitting position and stared at her. "Speak, wench. I can't help you if you don't tell me the problem."

She sniffled. "They're right. It's like we're trying to be Kami or something."

"Who cares what they think? We just didn't want another pup right away, like they ended up."

With that comment, she burst into renewed tears. "Oi! Wha-? No! Don't cry!" he yelled, his eyes widening.

"I did! I wanted more children right away, but _you_ said you didn't _want_ any more!" she wailed, tears streaming down her cheeks.

He paused. "You… you did? You want another pup right away? Why?"

She wiped her cheek with the back of her hand. "I loved carrying your babies around, Inuyasha. I loved the feeling of them inside me, moving and kicking, growing strong. I loved the fact that I had a little piece, or rather, pieces, of you with me all the time, whether I was sleeping, eating, or bathing. Now, it seems that the twins are growing up so fast that they won't need me anymore."

Blinking, she looked up at him. "You are such a wonderful, caring father. We could have a whole…"

"Litter?" he offered helpfully.

She wrinkled her nose. "Well, yeah, I guess, but I know you'd be patient and loving to each and every one we have."

He snorted lightly. "Who says I have patience?"

She raised an eyebrow. "You do with the children. Maybe not with anyone else, but with your own 'litter' you are extremely tolerant."

Inuyasha pulled her into his arms in a snug embrace. "Kami, woman… why didn't you just tell me that you wanted more? Then we could've skipped all that smelly con-dumb stuff."

"You said you didn't want any more. I was trying to do what you wanted." Her voice was muffled from where she had buried her face in his haori.

"I _do_ want more! I love the twins and Minako more than anything- except you, sneaky wench," he murmured into her hair. "I thought _you_ didn't want any more."

She pulled back and looked at him with brown eyes still bright with tears. "So… we'll stop using the condoms? And let Kami decide if we should have any more kids?"

He nodded, smiling gently as he bent his head to kiss her sweetly. "And let it be as fate would have it."

**-oOo-oOo-oOo-oOo-oOo-oOo-oOo-**

**A/N: sukebei- lecher, pervert, but a much stronger term for it (I think)**

**Hidama- "Falling Star" (Miroku and Sango's firstborn daughter)**

**Inusouta- "Handsome Dog" (Elder of Inuyasha and Kagome's twins)**

**Izayoi- "Sixteenth Moon" (Younger of Inuyasha and Kagome's twins)**

**Minako- "Beautiful Child" (Adopted wolf-hanyou of Inuyasha and Kagome)**


	30. Epilogue

**Epilogue**

"Ma-maaa! Inu pushed me down!"

Kagome looked down at her almost-four-year-old daughter, who was clutching her leg and staring up at her with wide, innocent gold eyes. Two long black pigtails were gathered neatly on each side of her head- although the purple ribbons were untied and dangling- and her purple sundress was smudged.

"And why did he do that?" the wise mother asked, knowing precisely what her "angelic" daughter had been doing.

"Ummm…" Izayoi mumbled, sticking her finger in her mouth as she pondered her answer. "'Cause he's mean?"

"Nooo… why don't you tell me the real reason?"

Izayoi sighed. "'Cause I pushed him in the mud first?"

Kagome nodded, turning back to the sandwiches she was making for lunch. "That's what I thought. You need to go apologize to your brother and then you're both getting a bath before lunch."

The little girl groaned as she slowly headed out the door, whining the whole way. "Awww…"

Minako sighed as she helped put sliced turkey and ham on the bread slices for her mother. "Izayoi acts more and more like Daddy every day," the strangely-mature-acting little girl commented.

It was amazing how fast Minako had matured in three years. Her hanyou blood had increased her aging, making her seem more like seven or eight rather than four.

Although, in Kagome's opinion, she often sounded more like she was thirty.

One would think that someone related to Kouga would be as hot-tempered and childish as he is. Not Minako. She was quiet, reserved, and the total opposite of her blood-uncle and her adoptive father.

"Oi, wench! Where's my lunch? I'm starved!" Inuyasha barged into the kitchen, his traditional fire-rat haori and hakama ripped, dirtied and all around disheveled. His silver hair was a bit wild too- it was clear he had been fighting. Again.

Kagome sighed. "It'll be ready in a minute. Your children were fighting again."

Inuyasha puffed out his chest with pride. "I would hope so. Makes 'em stronger."

Brown eyes glared at him. "They're not even four yet. They're not training- they're just bickering. You need to do something."

The hanyou waved a hand negligently. "Don't worry so much. It's not like they'll do any real damage to each other."

The patio door slid open before Kagome could retort and a tiny, purple blur flung itself into Inuyasha's lap.

"Papaaaaa!" Izayoi squealed, oozing little girl innocence. She looked up at her grinning father with the same wide, innocent gold eyes she tried to use on her mother. "Inu pushed me in the mud."

Immediately he stood up, one arm wrapped around his daughter. "Where is that scamp? Doesn't he know he shouldn't push girls!"

Kagome tapped his shoulder. "Don't you think you should ask her _why_ he pushed her?"

Slight wariness entered his golden gaze as he looked over at the imp in his arms. "Izayoi," he said warningly, "why did Inusouta push you in the mud?"

Izayoi opened her mouth to answer when she caught the Look her mother was giving her. She swallowed hard and gave her father a weak smile. "Um… I… kinda… pushed him… first."

Minako rolled her eyes.

Inuyasha stared at her for a moment, then threw his head back and barked out a laugh. "That's my girl!"

Kagome made a low growl that made all three hanyous turn and stare at her in surprise. "Inuyasha," she warned, glowering at her mate.

The poor hanyou's eyes went wide and his ears flattened. Minako shook her head as she turned back to the sandwiches. Izayoi flinched.

Turning back to their daughter, Inuyasha took a deep breath and let it out slowly. "Little girl, that wasn't very nice. Nice little pups don't push their brothers in the mud."

Izayoi looked very sad. "Even if they deserve it?"

Flicking a glance at his still-glaring mate, Inuyasha nodded at his little girl. "Hai. Even if they deserve it." He set her down on the floor and folded his hands inside his sleeves as he stared down at her, trying to scold her. "Have you apologized to your brother?"

Izayoi sniffed as she looked at the floor, the toes of one foot propped up behind the other and fidgeting with the floor. She nodded sadly. "Hai, Papa."

"And where is Inusouta?"

Izayoi pointed out the patio door. "Sitting under Goshinboku," she replied. "'Cause he can't jump into the branches yet."

Inuyasha walked over to the door and yelled out into the yard. "Inusouta! Get in here!"

Soon a little boy appeared in the doorway, walking slowly into the house. His blue shirt and jeans were splattered with dirt and a little mud, and his face was smudged, yet he walked as if he were dressed in silk robes. "Hai, sir?" he said respectfully.

"Did you push your sister in the mud?"

"Hai, sir."

"Did she push you first?"

"Hai, sir."

"Did she apologize?"

Gold eyes flickered to his sister, who was making faces at him behind their father's leg. "Hai, sir."

"Did you apologize to her?"

The boy's eyes snapped up to his father's. "No, sir."

"Why?"

"I felt justified in retaliating because she accosted me originally."

Inuyasha turned to Kagome. "What did he say?"

Kagome's mouth slightly curved. "He says he didn't need to apologize because she pushed him first."

"Well, why in all the hells couldn't he just have said that!"

Inusouta was a book worm. He was already reading at a high school level and had studied every one of his mother's old school books with an endless thirst for knowledge. It irked Inuyasha to no end, because he was certain any male child of his would be a fighter, like he was.

Kagome was proud of her son. She only hoped Izayoi would follow her brother's example later on- right now, she was simply a little Inuyasha-clone.

Turning back to their son, Inuyasha gave him a Look. "You still need to apologize, pup."

"Hai, sir."

Inusouta turned slightly to his sister and bowed quite respectfully. "Gomen nasai, baby sister."

Izayoi stuck out her tongue at her brother. "Don't call me a baby!"

The boy looked up at his mother as if to say "I tried."

Kagome shook her head as Minako handed her the plate of completed sandwiches. "That was very nice, Inusouta. Now, upstairs and into the bath. I want you clean before you eat."

"Hai, Mother." He bowed to his mother before walking serenely up the stairs.

Inuyasha stared after his son with a completely baffled look on his face. "Can't understand where he gets all this fancy language and behavior from. He acts more like Sesshoumaru than _Sesshoumaru_ does."

He flicked a glance at his mate. "Are you sure he's really mine and not my bastard brother's pup?"

"_Osuwari_!"

Inuyasha landed in a disgraceful heap face-first on the floor. Izayoi looked down at her prone papa in concern. "Papa! Are you hurt?"

Minako snorted very delicately. "Only his pride."

-------------------------

Kagome stared at the box in her hand. She had her suspicions, but _still_…

The twins were almost four now, and although she and Inuyasha had not used protection against pregnancy since they had agreed on it, she had not once conceived again.

It wasn't for a lack of wanting, though. She wanted more children- more desperately as the twins grew older. Was she to have only one pregnancy to experience?

She had had several "scares," where she was convinced she was pregnant only to discover that it was only wishful thinking yet again. She had cried and cried, feeling as though she had failed once more. It felt almost like losing a child, although there had never actually been one in the first place.

This was probably just another one of those "scares."

Sighing, she opened the box and took out the test. She knew the instructions by heart- she had taken these tests so many times it was impossible not to. She knew that if this test was negative, _again_, she'd end up miserable and depressed for the next few days, but still, she had to know. She had to hope.

Taking a deep breath to gather up some courage, she opened the foil wrapper and pulled out the little plastic stick. It was the kind that you inserted into a "reader," and gave you a digital result, either "Pregnant" or "Not Pregnant," rather than one or two lines.

It was now or never.

-------------------------

"Oi, wench! What the hell is taking so long in there?" Inuyasha yelled through the closed bathroom door.

A soft sobbing could be heard through the wood as he paused. His eyes flew open wide in surprise. What in all the hells was she crying about _now_?

He put his hand on the doorknob and flung the door wide, looking ready to do some damage. "Why are you crying? Are you hurt?"

His mate only cried harder, a small stick of plastic in her hands. She was sitting, partially slumped on the floor in front of the tub, her hands limply holding onto whatever that was.

Inuyasha looked closer. "Oi… isn't that one of those pregnancy predictor things?"

She sniffled and nodded her head slightly, still crying. "A pregnancy test."

Ohhhh… she had taken one of _those_ again. When was she going to learn that they just weren't meant to have more pups? "Kagome, it's okay. Just don't cry anymore, all right? I can't stand it when you cry."

He moved over beside her and crouched down, wrapping an arm awkwardly around her shoulders. He glanced down at the plastic stick in her hand, which was about to fall on the floor.

Carefully he lifted it out of her hands and glanced at the digital result.

**-o0o-o0o-o0o-o0o-o0o-o0o-o0o-o0o-o0o-o0o-**

**That's all folks! I look forward to having you join us in my sequel to "As Fate Would Have It," titled:**

"**It Must Be Destiny"**

**Thanks again for all your comments and reviews!**

**_-The Amber Dragonfly_**


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